Speeding Cars
by EveyM
Summary: I'M ADDING NEW CHAPTERS! [Roses and I Still Remember]. Marauder Era. The Marauder's need to grow up, and Sirius needs a helping hand. But he doesn't realise the one reason he grew up until it's too late. SBOC, JPLE, RLOC
1. Raise Hell

_Disclaimer: I do not own any ideas or characters seen in the HP series. I do own all original characters and ideas. Yo. _

_I'm uploading the whole fifth year at once. However, do not fear, this series lasts until JP/LE wedding so there's alot still to come._

_As You Glance Around The Room. To Check That No-One Sees How Normal You Are- ''Raise Hell', kids in glass houses _

Sirius yawned. Stretched. Looked at the clock. It was fifteen minutes into the first transfiguration lesson of the year and he was already bored.

He looked to his right. James' eyes were firmly fixed in a front-left direction. The back of the shoulder-length red hair of Lily Evans. He rolled his eyes, flicked his wand

and rested his feet on the small footstool that had appeared under his desk, and leaned back. At least James had something to look at. He sighed. Fidgeted. He'd only taken transfiguration to help out with Padfoot. He glanced around the room, his dark eyes skimming across the girls in the class. Maybe he could find something good to look at, too... Not to his right. Behind? No. Right? No. Wait...he took a double take at a blonde girl a few desks down. She turned to look at him, and a smile spread across her face to reveal discoloured and irregular teeth. Sirius grimaced as she fluttered her eyelashes and waved. Eugh. Resolved that he'd be surrounded by losers all year, he turned back to James. No hope of having fun when Lily was placed in such a perfect gazing position. But wait...there was a girl next to Lily. On her direct right. Long brown-red hair. About chest length. Slightly curled-loose ringlets. Her head turned to face the front and Sirius caught a side profile and squinted. Persephone Scamander...perfect. Sirius knew who she was. A Ravenclaw. Very smart, but not as..._nerdy_ as Lily. He'd never seen the two together before...in fact, he'd never seen Persephone in the corridors before, apart from in the second year when he'd turned to Remus and commented-"Definitely would." Sirius grinned as he recalled Remus' look of shock at a twelve year old talking about girls in such a way. Sirius recognised her from History of Magic the year before, but as he was in a very complicated relationship involving some Hufflepuff twins and a Slytherin for almost the entire year, he didn't pay her much attention. She was relatively quiet. He'd never actually heard her speak before. But that didn't matter. As long as she didn't sit behind him all year, he'd be able to while the hours away with ease...much like the repulsive blonde to his left.

Sirius Black spent the next month of transfiguration dissecting Persephone's features, and each lesson he pondered a different one. Her nose, (long, angular, slightly turned up at the end), her mouth, (long lips, thicker bottom lip. Pouts often. Nice teeth.), and her eyes (almond-shaped, green, much like Lily's actually) were the first. After that, he didn't have much else to think about, but luckily the lessons turned practical, meaning she had to stand up. This is when Sirius started looking at her legs (long, quite athletic), and her general body (slim, but with the curves which gave away her Mediterranean background). He also noticed she was tiny. Up to his shoulders. After four weeks of successful and stealthy daydreaming (successful meaning Sirius could perfectly picture himself pinning her against a wall in a deserted corridor), his gaze had not gone unnoticed by his friends. But Sirius was no longer starting to build a picture, he was trying to work out where she went after transfiguration classes ended. He and James often went wandering, in a vain attempt to find Lily and impress her, but no matter how much Sirius kept on his tip-toes, he never once had seen Persephone Scamander. She never once rounded a corner or occupied a library desk. Maybe she was wildly unpopular? No, Sirius thought. She was too good looking to have no friends. Even Snivellus had friends.

It was late October before Sirius breached the subject of the disappearing girl to his friends. They were the only ones left in the common room late one Saturday night.

"She's the great-great something of Newt Scamander, that guy that wrote 'Fantastic Beasts'", James said, practising his snitch catching. "That's all I know. So maybe she's off in the forest doing some research or something." Sirius frowned. He was adamant she was not a nerd. He noticed Remus was grinning from behind his book as James and he debated theories on what she did. Peter was trying his hardest to think of what girls would do on their spare time, but the best he could come up with was "Maybe she's sorting out her skirt." This resulted in a kick in the shin from James.

"She's an Anometomagi," Remus said finally, sounding bored. His three companions silenced and looked at him.

"A what?" Asked Sirius after a couple of blinks. Remus shut his book, uncrossed his legs and placed the volume onto the table. "An Anometomagi," he repeated. "One who can turn into any animal at will, much like an Animagi and Metomorphagi combined. Although, unlike an Animagi, it can be any animal, and needs not be a learned skill. And unlike a Metomorphagi, they cannot otherwise change their appearance."

Sirius and James continued to blink in amazement at Remus' outpouring of seemingly endless knowledge. Peter blinked, but only to try to understand the terminology. Remus continued. "Extremely rare. Genetic. And must be controlled in youth." He took up another book from the table, returned to his previous position and diverted his attention almost immediately. "How do you know all this?" Sirius asked, aghast.

"Heard Dumbledore telling her to keep it quiet in the first year. Just before he spoke to me about..." Remus glanced around the room and lowered his voice, despite them being alone. " furry little problem."

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" Sirius asked after a second. Remus didn't look up. "Thought it would be funny to see your face if she turned into a bear when you tried to corner her," he said boredly. James laughed slightly, but Sirius got up of his chair and placed himself in front of Remus on the table. "But..why didn't she tell anyone?"

Remus glanced up for a second, almost in annoyance at this constant bombardment of questions. "Well, with the current you-know-who situation, probably not the best thing to spread around. Death Eaters would be trying to convert her in seconds. Very helpful, to have someone like that." He saw the dark mop of hair nod in the corner of his eye. "Oh, and she has a very embarrassing problem when she gets upset which could provoke bullying, I suppose..."

He noticed Sirius stop and look up at him. "What..."

Remus grinned. "She uncontrollably turns into a giant panda."

Sirius Sighed. "Oh, thank the lord," he breathed. "I thought you were going to say she turned into a Hippogriff."

It took at least another few weeks before Sirius got a chance to contact Persephone Scamander other than a brief "Sorry" whenever he got in her way. He'd managed to hear her speak, McGonagoll often asked her to demonstrate, and her slightly raspy but no less feminine voice often answered questions. In a momentary lapse of concentration one afternoon, he managed to point his wand where he was staring, (Persephone's desk) and managed to turn her pond water into drinking water better than he had his own. At first he replied with the usual "Sorry", but Persephone grinned. And returned the favour. He looked down into his bowl, and instead of brown and green he saw clearly through to the desk surface. When he looked back up to her, her head had whipped back to the front. James smirked beside him. "Finally, mate."

After the lesson, with a slight smile on his face, Sirius managed to feel confident enough to talk to Persephone without letting out that he knew about her talent, much to James' excitement (mostly because Lily ended up cornered by him). He managed to raise up his usual boyish charm, and said in his patented 'Impressive' voice "Hey, Scamander!" as she walked past him. But as she turned to raise her eyebrows at him, his mind went black. "Uh, good job on that water.."

Persephone grinned and walked up to him, a long ringlet falling from behind her ear. "Yeah, uh, you too."

Sirius knew he could not let the conversation end on this. He was Sirius Black. And at this moment in time he could easily be mistaken for Peter Pettigrew. "I guess I'll see you in Hogsmeade tomorrow, then?"

She pouted a little. Nodded. "Three Broomsticks at half one." Before turning and walking off. Sirius mouth dropped open. She was very forward for such a quiet one, he thought...

"Lily! Wait!" James called from behind him, pushing past him to walk after Lily. He rolled his eyes and followed, joining James by the door and seeing Lily walk off with Severus Snape. "Oh, for god's sake," James huffed, angrily waving his wand subconsciously and turning Severus' ear a bright magenta.

The Three Broomsticks was packed full of people. Sirius had debated whether to go alone turn up with James, Remus and Peter, as usual. It wasn't actually a date. Well, he hadn't intended to get a date. Or, he did, just not this soon. Actually, he'd never been on a date. He'd always just...gotten girls. He'd never had to impress them or respect them or...pay for them? The thoughts ran through his mind, when he noticed three girls- one wearing a pink sweater with long mahogany hair. Persephone was sitting in a large booth in the corner with two other Ravenclaws whom Sirius had seen before, and when they all sat down together they were talkative enough for it not to be awkward. Apart from Peter, who was incessantly giggly whenever the mousy girl named Regina spoke. Remus immediately hit it off with the other girl, who had curly blonde shoulder-length hair and bright blue eyes and was flicking through a brand new copy of some kind of nerd book Sirius had never heard off. Apparently it explored some "interesting new themes". With Peter and Remus in conversation, this left James and Sirius to talk with Persephone. "So, do you like animals?" James asked. Sirius elbowed him sharply in the ribs. "What?" He asked, rubbing his side. "You're related to Newton Scamander, aren't you?"

Persephone shook her head and laughed. "You two always make me laugh," she said. "And yes, I am. But that does not mean I come top in Care Of Magical Creatures. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm failing."

James got up to get them some drinks, and just as conversation started flowing about Persephone's heritage and Sirius' odd placement in housing due to his "Blackness" as Persephone put it, the door swung open and in walked Lily Evans. She shivered as she walked over and sat next to Persephone on the end of the seat, taking off her scarf and gloves and rubbing her hands. "Thought you'd be in here," she breathed. "I'm fed up of coming here with Sev. He just moans."

"Well well well," came James' familiar voice. Sirius mentally banged his head on the table. "If it isn't Lily Evans." James dished out the drinks and looked towards his favourite girl. "Can I purchase you a beverage?"

"Yeah, Butterbeer please," she replied, before turning to Sirius and Persephone. James didn't seem to mind being treated like a waiter. On the contrary, he bowed and said "Of course, mademoiselle," before dashing off to get her drink. Lily shook her head. Sirius decided to be a good friend.

"You know, he's actually not that bad, he's just a bit..."

"Of an arrogant wanker?" Lily finished. "You could never tell."

Persephone sighed. "You know, he only has eyes for you. He never bothers to talk to any other girls, not even the ones who follow him around."

Lily shrugged and looked down guiltily. A butterbeer landed in front of her with a heart drawn into the froth. Lily looked up at her very own waiter and smiled. James nearly had a heart attack, and fell into the other end of the booth. Sirius watched James, and as the latter opened his mouth, Sirius could hear the words forming. 'No Snivellus today?'. But before James had a chance to speak them aloud, he had been shot a look he recognised as saying "Don't spoil it!".


	2. All You Wanted

_Please can you tell me? So I can finally see where you go when you're gone…-"All I Wanted", Michelle Branch_

James didn't spoil that day. In fact, much to Sirius' surprise, nothing did, not even Wormtail. The whole group spent nearly three hours in the pub, before realising they were going to miss the curfew and making an energetic and exhausting dash for the carriages. And the day's progress was shown as Lily sat with The Marauders at dinner that evening-James' smirk was desperately trying to be hidden behind chicken drumsticks- and Sephie gave Sirius a wave as they entered the hall. Sirius couldn't help but notice as they dined that Severus had caught sight of Lily and James' proximity, and was stabbing at his plate of food with vigour. Apparently, the two where hardly on speaking terms since the 'mudblood' incident last summer- something he and James were partially to blame for. Lily and Remus were discussing various Prefect things, which lead Sirius to wonder- was it about time for he and James to grow up? The thought did sadden him a little. But they were sitting their OWLs this year. It was time to think of jobs and such...but overhearing Remus say 'Oh, it's not good that weekend...' jolted thoughts back to him-he, James and Peter were so close to becoming Animagi, that was only the beginning of their adventures.

Lily and James didn't necessarily become firm friends after that day, but she certainly considered him funnier, more charming and a more adult person. She held conversations with Remus without tutting when James said something, and she actually made an effort to talk to them all in classes. Sephie did the same- but it was a lot harder to get discussions with her, with the house difference. They did begin to sit with each other in lessons, Sephie and Lily laughing out loud at some of his comments, not giggling like the other girls. McGonagall did seem a bit disappointed in Lily's open support of such behaviour, but even she seemed to find the group more charming. James and he found less reasons to pick on Severus, who kept his distance and buried himself in his books, and James bit his tongue in front of Lily to stop himself making immature comments. Though they weren't firm friends, they did meet in the Three Broomsticks for a pint or two on Saturdays. And after a couple of months, around Christmas, the forgotten subject of Sephie's power became discussion.

"It would be better if you could get into our common room though," Remus said. "It's nice being able to have intelligent discussion with someone."

Sirius and James both rolled their eyes. "We can have intelligent discussion, Remus," Sirius said. "You just do it all the time."

Regina and Miranda left the table to 'attend the ladies' convention', as they called it, leaving the Marauders' with Lily and Sephie- who looked around, lowered her head and voice and whispered-"Well, there may be a way..."

Sirius and James both narrowed their eyes and leaned in, Peter following suit.. Anything involving rule-breaking had them hooked. But surprisingly, so did Lily and Remus.

"What are you-" Lily began.

"Well..." Sephie held her hand on the table-it started to turn orange and stripy, getting rounder with claws jutting out. She pulled her hand back quickly at a gasp from Lily, and it returned to normal. "I can do anything. It's like, a genetic thing. Dumbledore told me not to tell anyone, but I figured, you're Gryffindors, you won't tell anyone dodgy." She took a sip of her butterbeer. Of course, this was no new news to the Marauders, but to Lily it was amazing.

"So, you're an-"

"Anometomagi, yeah. Don't tell anyone else though. I just-you know, I can sneak into your common room as a pet."

Sirius and James both smirked and nodded. "Nice."

Sephie often now snuck into their rooms as a mahogany mouse or fluffy cat, and they'd all got used to having her sitting on their coffee table. But none of the Marauders found a chance to tell Sephie their own Animagi secret-until the day Sirius opened the curtains around his bed to discover a Giant Panda curled up there.

"Shit!" He gasped, dropping the curtains like he was scolded and falling over his trunk as he stumbled backwards. He looked around the dorm as he straightened up-empty. Remus was going over notes with the others downstairs still, but his words reverberated in Sirius' ears- _She uncontrollably turns into a giant panda... _He slowly crept towards the bed once more, and pulled open the curtains uncertainly. "Um, Seph? Is that you?" he asked tentatively. The panda bumbled its way across the masses of mixed up sheets to Sirius and looked up at him. Green eyes. Yep.

"Remus told me this might happen..." Sirius sat down on the bed next to the creature. He placed his hands together between his knees and looked around. He'd never had to comfort an upset girl before, let alone one disguised as a Giant Panda. He tried to remember advice his cousin Andromeda had given him two years earlier about a girlfriend he had..._They just want a hug. _The panda did look very huggable. Sirius glanced instinctively upwards and to the right. Andromeda had left the school seven years ago. He sighed and lifted a hand to stroke behind the panda's ears. "Um, I would say tell me what's wrong, but I don't speak Panda so I wouldn't really know." He saw a humanoid grin appear on the panda's face. This comment seemed to be enough to cheer Sephie back to being a human. She appeared with tears streaking her cheeks and falling onto her jeans and t-shirt, and looking down at her hands. "I'm sorry to scare you," she said. "I just, I knew this was going to happen. It's getting hard finding places to hide in my dorm. I had to go somewhere...I had to find someone to cheer me up." Sirius smiled at these words. "You don't have to tell me what's wrong," he said. He instinctively moved her hair from where it had got stuck to her wet cheeks. She looked up at him and smiled half-heartedly. "It's just...Death Eaters were spotted near my house. I was scared _he_ might know about me...I was scared for my mum and dad and stuff..." Sirius nodded. "I'm sure he doesn't know. Trust me, we're not going to tell anyone. And Dumbledore...he's a smart man." Sephie nodded. Sirius continued. "Yeah I mean, he's been smart enough not to kick me and James out. He knows his stuff, that man." Sephie grinned again and wiped her eyes before looking at him again. It was quiet for a bit, before Sephie opened her mouth. "You know, it was really funny to see your face when you saw me. I nearly turned back just from that."

Sirius laughed and felt himself blush. "Yeah well, it's not everyday a giant bear is sitting in your bed." Sirius thought for a second. "Look, I'm going to tell you something. But you can't tell anyone, okay?"

Sephie nodded, looked at him seriously. Sirius looked around. He didn't know why-the four Marauders were the only boys in their year. "Me and the lads...well, we're learning to be Animagi."

Sephie gasped. "You are? That's so cool!"

Sirius thought for a second, before shrugging and nodding in agreement. "Yeah it is, but..we're having some last minute problems. Do you think you could...I dunno. Help out? I mean, I know yours is natural and all, but I just thought..."

"I'd love to." Sephie grinned. "And I take it this is illegal?"

Sirius stuck his lips out in a pout and nodded slightly. She laughed. "What's your animal?"

"Big, Black Dog," he said. "We used to have one when I was younger named Snuffles."

The door to the dorm opened, and in walked the other marauders. Sephie's eyes narrowed on each of them. "What animal's are you guys?"

They looked from each other, eyes wide. "Oh yeah," Sirius said. "She's gonna help us."

"It's here somewhere..." Sephie breathed, frowning at the wall. Sirius and James stood behind her shoulders, raising their eyebrows at the wall. Peter was looking about nervously. Remus piped up from behind Sirius' shoulder. "You have to walk past it three times, I believe."

Sephie clicked her fingers. "That's it." They all did so together and, sure enough, a large door appeared in the wall. "Bingo."

The room behind the door was large, with big cushions and a bookcase stacked high with books relating to Animagi. Remus's eyes lit up as he saw them, and opened one up. "Unlucky, mate," he said as Sirius joined his side, pointing to a picture of a man going through the transformation incorrectly, his face contorted in agony as claws and horn pierced through his skin.

"Look, you guys have done the main part, you've acquired the spirit of the animal you've chosen and taken into your own," Sephie said. She'd told them she'd come from a long line of Animagi, both legal and illegal, which probably accounted for her genetic condition. "You basically just need to get the meditation zone right. You're too...worked up about it."

James was trying his transformation. He'd gained antlers, hooves, and a general deer-like form. He was just...wearing clothes and human-coloured. As Sirius tried, Lupin sat on the cushions and watched. He was definitely a dog. With a tiny tail, and human ears and feet. Peter was just a man with a tail. Sephie seemed to ignore him.

"Look, come back," she beckoned them over. They returned to human form, Sirius still with a hint of fur on his arm. "Oh, bloody hell..."

Sephie laughed but continued. "Lay down, close your eyes and imagine a giant white room."

They did as they were told. She watched their faces, deciding when they'd made the thought of nothingness from their expression-it didn't take Peter long. "No, imagine your animal. Everything. Not just the basic stuff. Imagine being it. Feeling it. Running like it. Communication like it. Everything."

Sirius did it first. His body shifted, grew black fur, followed by a full length tail and pricky ears. Soon enough, he was a full dog. He let out a few barks, before sitting and panting. James opened one eye and frowned. His went back to concentrating. His legs grew longer and leaner, as did his arms. His kicked them out and got himself upright, a mirror appearing on the wall beside him. "Well done!" Remus clapped. Peter was almost asleep. But he must've been dreaming of a rat, because after a few minutes of the dog and deer playing, a rat was sitting beside them, looking terrified.

"Bloody hell," Remus breathed. "That was good. That was very good." Sirius plodded up to him and gave him a pout. He laughed and ruffled the dogs head. "Fetch, and all that." James was busy inspecting himself in the mirror, while Peter was cautiously moving around the room as if terrified of his own nimbleness. Sephie smiled and swayed. "I am, the best teacher in the world."

"Yeah, but we can't lie down and meditate every time we want to change," said a now human Sirius hidden behind some cushions beside Remus. "And what is with the lack of clothes?" Remus pointed to a set of three cubicles that had appeared along one wall.

"Oh yeah, I don't get that problem," Sephie laughed. "Well, you just have to practise shutting off. It gets easier to imagine each animal. The more you change, the easier it gets, because you know how it feels." Sirius returned to dog form, picking up his clothes in his mouth and trotting off to a cubicle. "Practise makes perfect!" she added gleefully.

It took only two months for the boys to manage a full transformation with little thought. Peter needed some encouragement in shutting off. His natural rattiness had him on edge constantly. But, thanks to the Room Of Requirement and a little coaching from a pro, the process was becoming so natural that when James or Sirius drooped off in lessons, it wasn't unheard of for James to grow tiny antlers or for Sirius to make a few pants.

"It's not to bad," Sirius shrugged when Remus retold the story to Persephone The Cat in the common room. "I think everyone's under the impression I was having a particularly wild sex dream."


	3. Tension and Terror

_Thin Limbed With Gorgeous Green Eyes, Smiling And I'm Going Straight To Hell. And I Try But I'm Not Convinving, Your Lips They Pout And Twist And I Die Trying Just To Keep Myself From Kissing You. You Take In Everything With A Certainty I Envy, But It's Somehow All I Need Just Keep Me Guessing Please. Darling All Of These Awkward Jump-Start-Stalling Conversations Mean Much More To Me Than Anything. And It Comes Down To Me And You And Whether We're Supposed To Or Not We Still Will. We're So Much Better Off Than Them.-"Tension and Terror", Straylight Run_

Sirius was bored, once again. History Of Magic was ridiculous now, with Lily sat infront of James and he with Regina, as James' new approach to wooing fair lady meant no pranks on Snivellus. Lily and Regina were taking reems of notes, James was trying to do the same, whilst staring straight into the back of Lily's head. Sirius looked around to Snape, who was scowling and puncturing holes in his parchment, muttering something along the lines of "_Potter...stupid...Black..". _He grinned, hoping that he'd at least be provoked into some kind of attack.

"Oh, excuse me," Professor Binns said as he shuffled through some books. "I appear to have left it in my office, compare notes while I just go retrieve it." And he floated out of the room hurriedly. James made no hesitation to tap Lily's shoulder, and Regina's head flicked round to face Sirius as soon as Binns had left.

"So," Regina smiled, her eyes flashing. "What's going on with you and Sephie?"

Sirius was taken aback by the sudden onslaught, and even James turned his attention into Sirius's answer. Lily grinned at Sirius, who was looking around nervously and stalling. "Urmm..."

"Oh come on," Regina pressed, flicking her hair. "You can't tell me Sirius Black is simply friends with her..."

"I'm friends with you," Sirius shot back, smirking. Regina laughed and rolled her eyes. "Yes, but you don't look at me like you look at her-"

"Who said I look at her?" Sirius asked, scowling. Regina and Lily both laughed. As did James. Sirius shot him a death look. "Oh, come on, Pads. You're always looking for her when you leave Charms now."

Sirius shook his head. "That's only because I felt bad I hadn't noticed her before. I'm only being social."

Regina pushed her hair behind her ear, something they all recognised as her symbol that she was getting into business. "There are some things you should know. I'm guessing you know about her, um, talent," she said, whincing slightly at the use of such a word, but continuing in her usual fast-pace. "Seeing as we all do. But more than that, she's really nice. I mean, like, amazingly nice. I mean, she thought you were after Miranda or me you invited her to Hogsmeade, and to get James closer to Lily, that's why she invited her-"

"Hey!" Lily scowled. "I thought she invited me because we were friends?"

Regina turned to her partner impatiently. "Well, yes, but she thought Sirius was using her-"

"I wasn't using her!" Sirius complained, riled. Regina rolled her eyes and sighed. "Yes, we know that, but she didn't. That's my point, she didn't think any of you had any interest in her. She has some kind of complex or something. I don't know. Anyway-"

Sirius, James and Lily were all frowning slightly as they tried to keep up with Regina's babble. "-you should know she'll never shag you-"

"I don't want to fucking shag her!" Sirius almost yelled, agitated and irritated, throwing his arms in the air and sighing angrily.

Lily looked shocked, as did James, but Regina carried on. "Well, that's all good, then," she smiled. Lily cut in and nodded. "She's a smart girl, Sirius."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Look, this is all fabulous, but maybe if I actually wanted to do anything remotely like that with her-"

"But you do," James interupted. Sirius breathed deeply. "Come on, Pads," James continued. "Maybe not a quick shag, but you still fancy her."

"She's a mate," Sirius said firmly, taking up his quill as Professor Binns re-entered. "Just a mate."

He couldn't deny, however, that he did somehow find more of an attraction to Persephone than Miranda, who was undeniably the most beautiful girl in their year. Maybe it was just because Miranda was sensible and classy, and most definitely Property Of Remus Lupin material, or maybe it was just because Sephie was funny and the two clicked. Either way, he found himself doodling a cat, colouring it mahogany with green eyes.

"Oh, what is this...?" James pulled the parchment from Sirius and looked at it. "A mahogany cat? With _green _eyes?"

Lily and Regina looked at each other infront and smirked. James continued as Sirius scowled. "Is Padfoot thinking of someone?"

"Prongs, shut up," he breathed, reaching to grab the parchment. James smirked. "What's this underneath?" He pulled the parchment into the air and looked to what was doodled under the cat as Sirius gritted his teeth.

"Prongs, stop being an idiot-"

"Is that a heart?"

"No, now give it back!" Sirius was now reaching after the parchment, his hands pulling James back as he held it out to his side and waved it in the air out of Sirius's reach. "Sirius, what are you doing?" James laughed as Sirius placed his knee on the side of his chair and leant across him.

Several students began to giggle at the scene, Sirius nearly knocking James' glasses off as he put his hand on his head and elevated himself.

"Mr. Black, would you kindly explain to the class why you are climbing up Mr.Potter?" came the calm voice of Professor Binns. Sirius stopped and looked around at the teacher. "Uh, he took my notes."

"Mr. Black, that piece of parchment is entirely blank except for a doodle. Now, if you do not wish to take notes on History of Magic, I'm sure Professor Taylor will find some use for you across the corridor." he raised an eyebrow at Sirius, who scowled, clambered down from James and picked up his bag.

"Arsehole," he muttered to a smirking James as he grabbed the parchment on his way out.

He knocked on the door to the classroom and entered, Professor Taylor pausing mid-sentance to raise an eyebrow at him.

"Uh, I got sent out of History Of Magic," he said, aware that everyone in the room had turned to look at him. He heard a familiar giggle behind him..

"Very well," Taylor sighed, waving her hand at him. "At the back."

He turned to take a seat, and saw Persephone grinning at him, Miranda rolling her eyes beside her. He took the seat next to her and smiled.

"What did you do this time?" she asked, moving her books over so Sirius had some room. He grinned roguishly and used his hands to symbolise quotation marks. "For climbing up James."

Sephie laughed again. "How the hell do you climb up someone?" she asked, frowning. Sirius shrugged. "Easy, like this." He placed a hand on Persephone's tiny shoulder and reconstructed his earlier events.

"Oh, Sirius," Sephie hissed, still laughing. "What the hell? This hurts, ouch-"

"Mr. Black!" Taylor screeched across the room. Sirius paused again and Sephie stifled her giggles as several girls turned, half laughing at his display and half disgruntled that it was Persephone whose legs his hand was on. "Could you please explain to the class what you are doing?"

Sirius shrugged. "Showing Miss. Scamander how to climb up someone," he said casually. Several girls giggled, hiding behind their hands. Even Taylor stifled a grin.

"Well, could you please show her out in the corridor, where you will both be spending the rest of class."

Miranda scowled, as Persephone and Sirius complied their things and left her alone with a rather creepy looking Hufflepuff.

"I think you pinched me," Sephie scowled, examining her forearm.

"You asked," Sirius grinned, leading her to the common room, his long strides causing Sephie to almost run.

"Slow down, I've only got little legs," she complained, causing Sirius to laugh and slow to a casual daudle. "Better?"

Sephie nodded and smiled happily before her eye caught something hanging out of Sirius's pocket. "Hey, you're going to lose this," she grabbed the parchment and Sirius's heart stopped for a second, but she didn't look at it, instead handing it straight to him. "Oh, thanks," he said, stuffing it into his bag hastily. "So, what do you usually do in these instances?" She asked, straightening out her jumper from where Sirius had pulled it halfway down her shoulder and brushing her hair down with her hand. Sirius thought for a second and stopped as they reached a staircase, Sephie mirroring his actions.

"Hmm, I know what we could do, it is about time for some elevenses..." he pondered, looking thoughtfully up and tapping his chin with his finger. Sephie scowled. "Where are we going to get food?" Sirius raised his eyebrows roguishly and took her hand. "The kitchens, of course..."

He pulled her away from the staircase and across another corridor, realising he was still holding her hand and dropping it awkwardly. "Sirius, how do you suggest we get to the kitchens?" She asked, frowning and once again running to keep up with her six foot tall companion.

"Like this," he said simply, running down a set of stairs that no-one ever found it neccessary to explore and to seemingly blank wall, except for a still life portrait Sirius examined carefully. Sephie scowled, leant closer to the picture, but saw nothing. "Aha," he said, remembering what he had to do and tickling the pear. Sephie jumped back as the pear turned into a door handle, which Sirius turned before shooting her an accomplished grin. They entered the now open door, hearing small, high-pitched voices screech and cry in happiness. "Mr. Black! You have brought a lady friend with you?". Sephie looked round as Sirius closed the door and saw hundreds of house-elves, hundreds of pots and pans and hundreds of work surfaces.

"Hello," Sirius said happily as house elves rallied round, conjuring up a table and chairs for the two and various of Sirius's favourite cakes. Sephie looked round in awe as Sirius sat down, gesturing to the chair across from his as he picked up a fondant fancy. "Miss. Scamander," one house elf curtsied to her as she sat. "We have heard much about your great grandfather, he is much known for his work with us elves, miss." Sephie smiled at the house elf. "Really?". The house elf nodded eagerly. "Oh yes, many years he spent with us, asking us questions, very interested in us was Master Scamander."

Sephie smiled once again and took a cupcake from the table. "Well, I'll tell him you send your regards," she said before taking a bite. The house elf grinned widely, before scampering off to bring more cupcakes to the table. Sephie looked across at Sirius, watching him lounge casually in his chair and eat a cinnamon roll. "What?" he asked as he caught her looking, his mouth full. Sephie shook her head. "How the hell did you find this place?"

Sirius grinned mischeviously again, before whipping a piece of parchment from his pocket. "With the help of this bad boy."

Sephie frowned and leant to take it, but Sirius whipped it out of reach. "Nu uh uh, Marauder's Secret."

Sephie pouted, sitting back down on picking at another cupcake. "Well, if you don't want me to know how awesome you are..." she said, calling Sirius' bluff. He scowled, leant forward and pointed the parchment in Sephie's face. "This, is the Marauder's Map," he said dramatically. Sephie smiled, frowned, and took the parchment gingerly from his fingers. She turned it over, but saw nothing.

"Wow, it really is miraculous," she said sarcastically. Sirius rolled his eyes. "That, you see, is the beauty of it. And the genius of it, now, let me demonstrate." He took the parchment back and took out his wand, making sure Sephie was watching.

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good," he said, his eyes on Sephie the whole time. He watched the confusion and awe on her face as the ink lines dashed over the parchment and handed it back to her.

"It's not finished yet," he said, returning to his recline and taking another cake. "It's taking us a while, but it helps being an Animagus."

She turned it over in her hands, trailing a finger over the lines of the map. "This is..well, pretty damn cool," she said, folding various parts up and down to find different parts of the castle. She scowled. "Hey, what are these dots?"

Sirius swallowed his mouthful. "Oh, they're going to be people, it's going to show where everyone is when it's finished. At the moment, we've only got it to show were the person holding the map is.". And sure enough, Sephie turned one fold to see a small dot with her name and Sirius' in the room labelled _kitchens_.

"You made this?" Sephie asked, looking up at him. He nodded. "Yeah, well, Moony helped alot. He did most of the research on the spells. Me and James did the sneaking around, he's got an invisibility cloak so it helps."

"He's got an invisibility cloak? Blimey, you lads do have some tricks up your sleeve." Sephie said, impressed, and handed the map back to Sirius. He took it and smiled, trying to look modest but feeling arrogant at the same time. "Yeah, well. Don't tell anyone, okay?"

Sephie nodded, smiling, before taking another cupcake. Sirius put the map back in his pocket and frowned. "You like cupcakes much?" He asked as she took her fourth one. She nodded, her mouth full. He glanced at his watch. "Take some back to the common room, James and Lily have free period now, too, and I hate to imagine what mood Lily's going to be in after spending History with him."

Sephie laughed, wrapped a few cupcakes in a napkin, thanked the house elves, and followed Sirius out into the castle and the hustle of ending lessons. The Gryffindor tower was the opposite end of the castle, and Sirius had to keep checking behind him to make sure Sephie was still there and hadn't been lost in the throng. "You okay?" he asked as they reached the busiest corridor. Sephie nodded, but grabbed hold of his bag strap. "Just in case," she said, grinning. Sirius nodded, before setting off into the crowd again, his head above most of the student body, whilst Sephie was lost in a crowd of first years. Ten minutes later, and with Sephie feeling rather bruised, they reached the portrait hole, Sephie checking they were inconspicuous before transforming into a cat. "Alright," Sirius said. "Gobbledegook."

The painting swung open, and Sirius lifted a leg to clambered in only to be stopped by a miaowing beside him. "What's up? Oh," he looked down to the cat, who was sitting next to large satchel with a Ravenclaw crest on it. "Sorry," he apologised, grabbing the bag for her and taking it with his own through the portrait hole.

"Hello, children," James said happily as the two took their seats (or table) by the fire. Lily had a impenetrable scowl on her face, and her hair was adorned with rose petals.

"Alright, aw, Lils, very pretty," Sirius replied, smiling at the moody female beside them. She gave him a sarcastic smile, before standing and stalking into the dormitory.

"Let me guess, she can't get them out," Sephie asked as she transformed back into a girl and took the seat Lily had left. James shrugged. "I think she looks very stylish."

"Potter!" came a yell from the female dormitory, and the door swung open to reveal a furious Lily, now with whole Roses, complete with thorns, stuck in her hair.

"Oh, um, let me get that, come here," he said, standing up to approach her. She fumed and whipped out her wand. "Come anywhere near me with that _thing _and I swear to god you'll have thorns somewhere a lot more painfull!"

James stopped and gulped. "Look, Lily," he pleaded, holding his hands up defensively. "I promise, I can fix it, just...come here, please."

She narrowed her eyes at him, judging him for a second, before sighing. "If you don't get these out-"

"I know, I know," James lead her to a corner, away from Sirius and Sephie.

"Do you think he'll ever get it right?" Sirius asked, laughing. Sephie shook her head. "Boys are dumb. But I dunno, I think she's a bit harsh on him."

Sirius turned back to her and frowned. "You do?"

"Well, yeah," Sephie shrugged, pulling out a Potions essay she'd promised Sirius she'd help him with. "If a guy was that head over heels for me, I'd at least give him a chance. Now, you need to remember the rules regarding Felix Felicis, my boy."

IIIII

"Okay, so you _can't _use it in exams? Well, that's bollocks," Sirius commented, as he made the note. Sephie grinned. Sirius turned to her. "Do you reckon we could brew some?"

Sephie frowned. "It's really hard to make, I don't think we cover it until at least next year- you've spelt examinations wrong," she leant over him and tapped the word with her wand, correcting the _examitions _Sirius had scrawled, him catching the smell of her hair-coconut. "Why do you want to make some anyway?" She continued. Sirius shrugged. "Just think all of our pranks would go smoothly if we had a little bit before hand."

Sephie laughed. "I think you've got enough practise. Anyway-Sirius! You've done it again," she leant over him and tapped the second _examitions _he'd written, coconut filling his nostrils once more. He closed his eyes slightly as it mingled with her perfume, before snapping himself back to reality. _Girls smell good, _he thought. He watched her as she flicked through the pages of her books, her green eyes darting about the page as she tried to find what she was looking for. She'd taken her school cardigan off, rolled up her sleeves slightly and rolled down her socks. Sirius couldn't help but noticed that her skirt rode up slightly as she leant across the table to grab another book, revealing the tanned tops of her thighs, and Sirius wondered whether she really was tanned all over...

"Sirius?" she asked, snapping him out of his daydream, mentally punching himself for thinking pervy thoughts over Persephone. "Can you see if that bit about what happened to that person in the fifties in Quidditch is in there?" she pointed to a book beside him as he shook his head. "I'll try..." He flicked the pages and scowered them for anything remotely to do with Quidditch, but become very much aware of the chair moving closer to him and the smell of coconut getting stronger. "I think it's here," Sephie said, leaning over Sirius and flipping the pages in his lap. She frowned slightly, pouting, her lips twisting as she tried to find what she wanted. her fingers brushing his legs as she fingered the pages. Sirius felt a shiver go up his leg and prayed that it wouldn't reach a danger zone, although glad the book was placed where it was. _I don't fancy her..._he said to himself, but found his eyes fixated on her lips. _It's just cos she's brushing my thigh so gently. And she just looks quite sexy when she's confused. No, she doesn't. She's just got nice smelling hair. Yeah, that's it. She smells nice and she's stroking my thigh. And I can see down her top when she leans over like that...OH god, look away._

Sirius flicked his eyes up to the ceiling, trying not to think about Persephone's clean white underwear against her tanned skin, and how it looked like she really was tanned all over.

**I'm adding this chapter, as it shows them getting a bit closer. I'm adding a few, actually, I've decided I skipped alot of info. Oh, and the "climbing up James" bit was inspired by something that happened at High School- one of my friends got sent into my lesson with a Red Card for "climbing up" their friend, before climbing up me. He reminded me of it yesterday and it made me want to include it in here!**


	4. And With A Scissor Kick Is Victorious

_You Are What I Despise, And I Hope You Judge Your Life. To Think You Ran Away? Yes I Did From You. Why Would You Bow Down?-"…And With The Scissor Kick Is Victorious", Biffy Clyro. _

The Hogwart's Express pulled into Hogsmeade station on a cold and misty morning in late December to a crowd of shivering youngsters, ready to go home for the holidays. Sirius, James, Remus and Peter were stood facing the train as it rolled to a halt, eyes staring, too cold to comprehend anything else except the warmth awaiting them inside the carriages. "Finally," James sighed as the doors opened, and they all dragged their trunks through the rush to get in. "Here." The carriage was empty, and the four threw their trunks in, Remus slamming the door to a grinning girl from their transfiguration class hoping to follow them in. She pouted and frowned before storming off. They slumped into the chairs, chucking off the masses of layers shrouding them and sighed.

"Bloody cold," Sirius mumbled, letting out a shiver. The door slid open slightly. It was Sephie and Miranda. "Do you guys mind if we join you? The rest of the carriages are full of idiots." Sirius nodded, and the two girls slid the door fully open and dragged their belongings in as the train started up again. "Thanks," Miranda said, sitting down next to Remus, who looked positively beaming. "That's no problem," he said, picking a book of a pile beside him. "Look, I managed to get a copy..."

James sighed, rolled his eyes at Sirius (who laughed) and stared out the window. Lily would be doing prefect duty, which meant there was no chance of her wanting to share their carriage. The girl from earlier passed, giving the carriage a foul look as she saw the two girls. "Hey," Sephie said, smiling at Sirius. "How's Padfoot getting on?"

"Oh, he's okay." Sirius grinned back. James smiled as well as he turned to her. "Yeah, Prongs says hi". Peter just frowned at his lack of comprehension as Sephie looked at him. She raised her eyebrows and nodded. "Okay..."

The weather outside remained windy and miserable almost the whole way to London, although the rain managed to turn to snow somewhere in the midlands. However, the mood inside the carriage was quite uplifted, apart from James' sulk. Halfway through a discussion about the rules of Quidditch (Miranda knew almost nothing, but Sirius was impressed to hear the extent of Sephie's knowledge), the lunch cart rolled up. "Bit of everything," James said before the lady had a chance to ask. She dished out six of everything, and, as usual, James footed the bill.

"Got enough there?" came a familiar voice, which caused James' ears to prick like those he usually possessed as a deer. Lily Evans was grinning in her robes from the door. "It's to share," James explained, trying to keep an air of arrogance about him. Lily nodded. "Well then," she sat down next to Miranda and grabbed a chocolate frog. "You mind me..._sharing_ then." She opened it with a smirk on her face and took a bite.

"Not at all," James replied. It was no time before the Quidditch conversation resumed, thanks to James-eager to show off his skills. He was just explaining to a half interested Lily how tactics are key to every game, when she checked her watch, jumped and flustered something about prefect duty. As she left, the train started to pull into what everyone realised as the last few miles to Kings Cross, deciding themselves to get ready to leave. The lobby of the station came into view, and crowds of people could be heard stampeding towards the exits and, sure enough, as Remus opened the carriage door, a horde sealed off the entrance. "Excellent..."

"Well," Miranda said as she stood beside him. "If we get split up and I don't get a chance to say bye..." She kissed him curtly on the cheek, which proceeded to flush a shade of bright scarlet. Sirius elbowed him in the side as they pushed their way out. "You've pulled!"

"Shut up," Remus hissed, although he was clearly watching the blonde head of Miranda disappear into the crowd ahead. Sirius felt someone pinch his behind, and knowing Sephie was behind him, raised his eyebrows as he turned. "Handing out a bit of Christmas...cheer...oh..." his voice trailed as he came face to face his fan from Transfiguration, Sephie smiling cheekily at him over her shoulder. The girl giggled. Snorted. Fantastic.

Sephie didn't say goodbye in the same way as Miranda, much to Sirius' disappointment. Remus getting a kiss and not him? When there was so much mistletoe around? Rubbish. She did give him a hug and promise to write. But she also hugged Peter, before trotting off to her parents. (Sirius noted she got her Greek looks from her mother). Narcissa and Regulus were both heavily in conversation with Bellatrix and the rest of the Black Family. Andromeda was on the station platform, waving at Sirius. Beside her was her husband, Ted, who had always reminded Sirius of Remus' messier older brother. In his arms was a small girl of about two, her black hair in bunches on the sides of her head. "Girl trouble?" his cousin said as he walked over to greet them. "Something like that." Andromeda shook her head. "Honestly, boy. Sirius Black with girl trouble? Tut tut." She thought for a moment. "You know what? The problem is, you're too much of a slut to be taken seriously. When you were thirteen, you had all the girls you wanted. Now it's coming back to haunt you." She sighed as Sirius' jaw dropped. Andromeda ignored it. She jerked her head in the family's direction. Andromeda really was looking startlingly like a younger Bellatrix. "I don't think they've realised I'm here. Just wanted to see you before Christmas, wanted you to see Nymphadora." Sirius turned to the young girl, who's hair started to turn pink as Sirius fished out a Chocolate Frog in his pocket to give to her.

"Ta, Siwis," she said, her chubby little hands gripping the frog from him.

"You looking forward to Christmas?" He asked her, her grinning face nodding enthusiastically. "Have you been good?" She nodded again, giggling.

"SIRIUS! WHERE ARE YOU?" came Walburga Black's strangled voice over the smoke. Sirius rolled his eyes and picked up his things. "It was nice to see you," he said as the three disapparated. Walburga's tall, egg-shaped form came through the smoke. "LEAVING! NOW!" She shouted, jabbing her son in the chest.

For a favourite cousin, Andromeda's words weren't too much help. How did she expect telling him he was "too much of a slut to be taken seriously" help? Anyway, he thought, Seph's more of a friend now. This convincing thought kept his arrogancy levels high enough to bring him above his family, who's idea of Christmas Spirit was commenting on Sirius' 'disgusting' decor over dinner. "Yeah, bet Voldemort's bedroom is gorgeous," he muttered as he stormed up to his own, locking the door and throwing himself on the bed. There was a tapping on his window-it was a big barn owl. He smiled, rushed to thrust open the window and let the bird in, before realising as it fluttered onto his bed that it didn't have a letter. Before he had a chance to think, the owl had turned into a short girl with long, dark red hair and big green eyes. Persephone's face had the usual grin, and she danced her shoulders as she looked around the bedroom. "So," she said. "This is the bedroom of Sirius Black..." her eyes fixed on a Muggle Page 3 girl. "Definitely a boob man, then?"

Sirius dashed to stand in front of another naughty poster, laughing nervously. "So..when you said write, you meant...". Persephone's eyes darted back to his. "Turn up as an owl, yes."

"SIRIUS! SIRIUS BLACK!" came a strangled voice from below. Sirius' eyes widened and darted to his door. His beautiful mother was storming up the stairs, taking them two at a time, determined to get him in trouble. The door thrust open, her eyes falling on the bed and narrowing...Sirius closed his eyes. A girl. In his bedroom. Fabulous. "Where did you get that owl?" She demanded. His eyed followed hers, to Persephone the Owl. "Oh," he said, trying to stifle a smile. Persephone strutted across the bed, picking at parchment like any normal owl. "It's from Lupin..I...left something. Some work. He sent it to me." His mother didn't seem too convinced, her eyes still narrowed at the bird. But, finding no reason to doubt his excuse, turned and stormed back down stairs, mumbling something about "bloody muggle motorbikes". Sirius closed the door, wiping his brow. "That was close."

"Yeah," said the now human girl, reading the bit of parchment she'd been picking at as an owl before turning to him. "So, up for some walkies?" she asked, answering Sirius' questioning look by transforming into a big white husky. He took one look at the door, before deciding he had nothing to lose, turning into Padfoot and leading his companion out of his window, onto the shed roof and off into freedom.

The night was cold, but both being particularly fluffy, the pair of dogs didn't feel the chill. Sirius led them down to the river, where as dogs they could enjoy a paddle. A group of teenagers saw the pair frolicking in the wake, pointing them out and laughing, trying to call them over. Sirius barked to Sephie as the group started to approach them, and the two shook themselves dry and trotted off. At about ten o'clock, both canines were panting hard form all the walking, and made a turn into a park to take a drink from the duck pond and terrifying a few creatures. Sirius looked at his reflection in the water, rippling slightly from where Sephie's pink tongue was lapping the surface. He looked quite good as a dog...He sat and watched Sephie drink, obviously more exhausted being the furrier of the two, her thick white fur around her ears blowing in the wind. She stopped drinking as she realised Sirius was looking, turning her head to look at him and blinking her dark almond shaped eyes. Embarrassed, Sirius turned his head to the sky where a silver orb caught his eye...full moon. His companion followed his gaze and both stared at it for a while. Sephie knew of Remus' condition, always had, just as he had known about hers. Both wondered what he was up to. Whether he was locked up in his basement, slashing at his own face, howling as his parents sat in their living room trying to drown it all out. Sirius suddenly felt a wave of guilt. He was so lucky. Here he was, strolling about in the night with a mate, splashing in the Thames and play fighting, while his best friend was locked up, fighting himself. He let out a remorseful howl and lay down. Sephie plodded over, nuzzling his ear, knowing exactly what he was thinking just as he knew of her thoughts-_There's Nothing You Can Do. _He grunted in sad agreement.

"REGULUS!!!" came the sing-song voice of his mother through Sirius' dreams. Once again, he was in a sweat. "Coming, mother!" replied his younger brother, before the sounds of his footsteps trotting down the staircase. Sirius had got used to this favouritism. He didn't mind. He wiped his face on his bed sheets, trying to shake the image of Remus' parents nursing their son's self-inflicted wounds for the hundredth time. "SIRIUS BLACK! NOW!" his mother's voice boomed. Plodding down the stairs to the kitchen, he tried to shake his thoughts onto the previous week's little adventures. He'd had a few night-time wanderings with Sephie now, and each time they were spending more and more time out.

"Post," his mother said bluntly, throwing a letter in Sirius' breakfast bowl as he filled it with milk. The familiar curls of Andromeda's script started to run into his breakfast. "Fucksake," he mumbled, fishing it out and wiping it on his mother's clean table cloth for good measure. His cousin asked the usual questions, mostly about whether he'd heard from Sephie, what James, Remus and Peter were up to, if they were behaving, and how his family were. He smiled as he read of Andromeda's secret jinxing of various of her sister's possessions, just to annoy them. He couldn't wait to be seventeen. He glanced at his mother, ideas swimming through his mind.

"We're spending Christmas with your Uncle Cygnus," she said, settling down to her own gigantic breakfast. "So your beautiful cousins can spend time with you."

Sirius grimaced. It was enough knowing his mother married her cousin, without her trying to force them to do likewise. Although, he did think he and Andromeda would have a good laugh if push came to shove.

"Bellatrix has some fascinating ideas, she really thinks all wizard's will be pure-blooded in the next five years." Regulus said, mulling over the Daily Prophet. He didn't seem to flinch at the death of muggles reported on page one. Sirius blocked it out. This kind of conversation sickened him. He knew he had nothing to worry about, the only muggle-born he knew well being Lily Potter. But the idea of her being killed made his insides twist in knots. Although, he supposed, losing Snivellus wouldn't be such a problem. He was a half-blood. He smiled...how ironic it would be, for him to be killed by his idol? But with a jolt, Remus' face floated back into his mind...his mother was muggle-born. Sirius shovelled down his cereal, despite his sudden loss of appetite. His munching managed to drown out Regulus and his mother's chatter, but he still heard 'mudbloods' ring through a few times. It was all he could do to stop himself shouting at the two. He felt a sear of anger. They were so close minded...The front door clicked open, and Sirius looked round through the kitchen door, down the hall, to see the tall, lanky shape of his father, who looked the spitting image of Regulus and himself. Sirius looked back at his mother- he was so thankful he didn't take after her in the looks department. But apparently she was a looker back in her day, the Potter's had told him. Sirius hoped it was his own birth which caused her to put on so much weight. He didn't doubt for a second that it was him who'd given her the premature wrinkles. He smiled to himself and finished off his breakfast, before standing up to get showered. "We're leaving in an hour," his mother called after him as he reached the door, his father pushing past him, not saying a word. "What?" Sirius snapped, turning round. His mother's face hardened. "TO GET TO CYGNUS'S!" she yelled, throwing a fork at him. He ducked in time, the fork hitting the door frame and bouncing into the hall. "AND WATCH YOUR TONE WITH YOUR MOTHER!" Sirius rolled his eyes, walked out of the kitchen and climbed the stairs as Kreacher came hurrying out of the kitchen to fetch the fork. He looked up and gave the oldest Black boy a smirk.

"Little wanker," Sirius mumbled, pushing the bathroom door open and looking for a towel. The only one left was a white one with fresh stains on it. Sirius mind floated back to Kreacher. He slammed the door.

"Regulus, my boy! How you've grown!" Cygnus booming voice came from the large oak doors, echoing around the circular drive with it's giant fountain in the center. He stood at the doorway with his arms outstretched, the rings on his fingers glistening. Sirius noticed that every time he saw his Uncle Cygnus, the more he looked like a pimp. "How's school? The whiz at potions, I should imagine..." His voice trailed off as he caught sight of Sirius. The oldest Black child could feel exactly what his Uncle was feeling. When he was younger, Cygnus had the idea that Sirius was destined for great things. He could never deny that his oldest nephew, no matter how much of a 'blood-traitor', was still the best in the family at magic, equal to his Bellatrix. Sirius knew what was coming later that day-Cygnus' eyes never left him as he hugged his sister and his brother-in-law and ushered them into the grand house. It was Christmas Eve and there was an enormous Pine Tree in the hall between the two grand staircases decorated with silver tinsel, beads and ornaments. His family really needed to get a new colour scheme, Sirius thought.

"Come, Come!" Cygnus ushered the family into his living room, where Sirius' Aunt Druella was lighting a few decorative candles. "Walburga! Orion!" She squealed as she caught sight of the visitors, before dropping the match onto her daughter's lap as she hurried to greet them. Narcissa screeched like an owl, Bellatrix casually flicking her wand to put the flame out as she rose up to follow her mother. Sirius grimaced as he kissed each of Bellatrix's cheeks, Narcissa so stupid she almost gave him a full frontal snog. It was times like these that he missed Andromeda, and slightly resented her for being booted out of the Black family.

"Will Rodolphus be joining the festivities?" his father asked as he greeted his oldest Niece.

"For dinner," Bellatrix replied. "His family are having a large celebration tomorrow, what with the arrival of his own nephew."

"Oh, of course, of course..." Orion moved on to greet the blonde of the Black girls. "And what about the beautiful Narcissa, any courtiers on the agenda?"

Narcissa frowned. Evidently she did not understand the word 'Courtier' "Um, no?"

"Don't be so shy, Narcissa!" Cygnus' voice cried as he gripped his daughters shoulder. "Why, our Cissy has only caught the eye of Lucius Malfoy, hasn't she?"

Walburga Black gasped. "Oh, really? How wonderful Cissy!" She grasped her niece in her arms. "The Malfoy's are such an..._integral_ family!"

"And what about young Regulus," Druella asked, her permed blonde hair solid as she moved her head to the fourteen year old. He shook his head firmly. Sirius wondered whether Cygnus would bother asking about _his_ love life, imagining his expression as he told of his last girlfriend being muggle-born, and what they got up to in free periods. But he wasn't given that pleasure, instead being forced to sit on the three person sofa next to Narcissa, Bellatrix and his brother as his Aunt handed out cups of tea, the discussion turning to the usual-politics of pureblood. Sirius switched off.

Sirius woke to a frantic pecking noise on his window. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the owl. It wasn't Sephie, but a tiny real-life owl with a large package, at least twice it's side hanging from it's leg. He rushed to the window to let it in, and as it dragged itself into the room, three more birds came zooming through, knocking the poor thing off the windowsill.

"Bloody hell," Sirius sighed, the birds fluttering around impatiently on his bed. He picked up the small bundle off his floor and untied the package before setting it down on his bed with the others. The package was from Peter. Only he would forget the basic laws of physics. Sirius sat on his bed, and untied three more parcels as another owl flew onto his bed. One from James, Remus and Andromeda each. He went to untie the last package, but the owl grinned at him as it changed into a girl.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" she cheered, seizing Sirius into a massive hug, sending the birds flying off in all directions. She released him and grabbed the parcel beside her, thrusting it into his hands. "I got you this. Open it. Open it."

Sirius smiled at the girl. "How did you find-"

"OPEN IT!" She whined loudly, pushing his hands and urging him on. "Okay, okay..." Sirius pulled off the string and paper. It was a book with golden animals engraved into its black leather cover. He opened the cover to the title page- "A History Of Animagi and Their Amazing Adventures." His eyes grew wide, he'd never heard of this book before, but it seemed like the kind of book he'd want to be in.

"Look, look," Sephie said impatiently, grabbing the book from him and turning the pages. She thrust it back to him, jabbing her finger on the page she'd chosen. "It's my great great grandfather!" And sure enough, there was Newton Scamander- an Animagus.

"So that's how he found all those animals," Sirius said, his brain ticking. But Sephie was preoccupied by the other parcels, an owl sitting in her lap. "Oooh," she said, seizing one brown package. "What did James get you? Open it!" She thrust it into Sirius' hands, her eyes wide.

Click.

Sephie and Sirius' eyes darted to the door. "Shit," Sephie breathed.

"Who are you sending that to?" Regulus asked, narrowing his eyes at the package Sirius was tying to the mahogany bird's leg. "Oh, Remus," Sirius replied. "Is breakfast ready?" He winked at the bird.

"Mmm," his brother replied, his eyes growing narrower before he turned to leave. Sirius stroked the birds head, ruffled it's feathers. "This is your present. Sorry I couldn't watch you open it." The bird winked and took off through the window. Sirius watched her fly away. His one bit of joy through an otherwise rough holiday.


	5. Justboy

_I'm Alone With These Thoughts Of Mine. People Look And Tell Me 'Justboy'. I Don't Believe In Anything. That's The Message In Your Eyes.-"Justboy", Biffy Clyro_

"You got slobber on you," Persephone said as Sirius came from around the tree, brushing himself down. He looked down at himself and saw a wet patch on his knee. "Yeah, well it would be a lot easier if I could just change back into a clothed person than a naked one. Then I wouldn't have to drag my clothes around with me," he replied, laying down next to the girl. They sat in silence for a few moments, staring at the stars in the clear and cold night. It was a full-moon, and at these times, the two went out throughout the night, changing into humans when they got to the park. Through the corner of his eyes, Sirius stared at Persephone. He noticed her Botticelli eyes were tracing constellations. They glittered slightly in the moon light as they danced. Her skin glowed eerily, slightly silver, making her look uncharacteristically pale. Her white hat contrasted her dark hair, as did her baby blue coat. She was wearing black tights and little white brogues. She looked a lot like a doll.

"You know, one night, in the Summer, we should see if we can go all the way to mine," She said, not taking her eyes off the sky. "All we have to do is follow the Thames."

Sirius watched her lips move. He knew almost everything about her know. He knew she lived in Reading, in a big house that backed onto the Thames that had been in her family for generations. She had a boat, and two dogs called Cloud and Sandy. Her mother was called Cassandra, and her father was called Dactyl, and they met in Greece when her father was twenty-five and her mother was sixteen. She also had two younger siblings-twins, a sister named Artemis and a brother called Apollus, who were nine, and a little sister called Demeter who was one. And a fish named Monty. She went to Greece in the Summer for two weeks every year to visit her Grandmother who always cooked amazing Greek food, and her cousins who always had big parties.

"Yeah," Sirius replied lazily, smiling.

"Yeah, you could come stay. We could go out on the boat all day with the dogs. It's so much fun. Or, we could take the dogs and _be _dogs, in the park all day. I've done it before. It's hilarious. They're really clever-"

"Wait," Sirius interrupted her, leaning up on his elbow. "Are you saying you can understand the animals?". Persephone turned her head at him and smiled, her face half covered by her hair. She nodded. "I can find out what they want. They're pretty happy dogs. I've never been a fish though. But it doesn't get scared when I turn into a cat cos it knows it's me.".

Sirius thought about this for a moment. It was an amazing 'disorder' to have. He'd never tried to talk to real animals when he was a dog. He hadn't really thought about it. But he realised why it was so dangerous for Voldemort to know about Persephone. He could get anything on his side. Sirius looked around the river, making sure they were alone. He suddenly felt very protective of her. He shuffled closer to her, his jeans getting covered in grass stains and his white tennis shoes scuffed. He wondered how she could be so casual when she was in so much danger. She had said herself there were Death Eaters near her house.

"Do you ever think there's anything bigger out there?" Persephone asked randomly. She was still staring at the night sky. She'd caught Sirius off guard-"What?"

"Well," She continued, scrunching up her face to find words. "Think how big the universe is. It grows all the time. There must be something else, another planet with people. Maybe another me and you. Like, maybe the girl version of you and the boy version of me. And we're doing this. But, on a different planet."

Sirius frowned, but smiled. "You mean, like another dimension?"

Sephie smiled. "Yeah, that kind of thing.". Sirius shrugged. "I don't know, that's a bit of a Muggle thing isn't it?". Sephie shrugged as he had done, and turned to him. Her Botticelli eyes stared straight into his own grey ones. "We're all on the same planet."

Sirius' eyes didn't move from hers. Nor did hers move from his. They just sat there, staring at each other. Sirius was wondering what she was thinking, but at the same time was thinking himself. Of what he'd told her before. Maybe she was thinking of that. He'd told her a lot about himself. They'd gone pretty deep on these nights out. He'd told her how much he was getting fed up of being thought of as a playboy. He told her what Andromeda had said. Persephone had agreed to some extent, but said that was more other people's fault not his own. That they could never understand how someone could grow up and change. How it was always a big deal. She told him not to worry. She said she took him seriously. He felt a great surge of affection for. He cared about her like he did James and Remus and Peter. But he felt a bit more. He wanted to protect her. She was really smart. And she could turn into a gigantic bear and knock him out in an instant. But here she was just Persephone Scamander. She was just a 5 foot nothing girl in little white shoes.


	6. Two Lovers

_But The Boy Is Young And Foolish And Knows It All. He Puts About When He Goes Out And The Stories, They Get Told. It's In His Nature, His Misbehaviour, His Misdemeanours. The Boy He Ain't No Genius, But He Keeps Her On Her Toes.-"Two Lovers", The Twang_

The picture of his favourite cousin and her family that he'd been sent over the new year was kept in his trunk. He hadn't looked at it for a week. But now he was desperately hoping it could help him elevate his mood.

"Look, it's not going to be _that_ bad," James said. He obviously didn't believe his own words.

"James," Sirius raised his eyebrows. "It's a wedding. Made up of Death Eaters."

"Yeah..."James could only reply with that word. Sirius threw the photo back into his trunk. "It's not even like Andromeda is going to be there. I'm just gonna have to grit my teeth. And you know my teeth un-grit themselves."

Remus picked up the photograph and crossed his legs, leaning back onto Sirius' pillow. "Look, just keep your head down and it will be fine." He saw the look on Sirius face and frowned. "Everyone else can do it..." he mumbled, staring back down at the picture. "I still don't see the resemblance here."

Sirius rolled his eyes and grabbed the picture. Outside the sun was shining a beautiful March day. But this stroke of bad news could only bring clouds to Sirius.

"Why would anyone want to marry her anyway?" James asked, fiddling with the snitch he carried.

"She is quite pretty," Peter said, smiling. Sirius gave him a disgusted look and smacked him. "She is a death eater. She is NOT pretty."

"Just go," Remus said. "It would be better for you to go than not."

"Who said I wasn't..." Sirius thought. His eyes lit up. A grin crossed his face. "I'm not going. Of course. I'll just..not go."

James and Remus looked at each other in dread. "No...no I didn't mean..."

"You HAVE to go," James said, shaking slightly. "Even I think so. Walburga will eat you alive."

But Sirius was smiling out the window at the sun light.

IIIIIIIIIII

"I AM NOT GOING. END OF."

"SIRIUS BLACK!" Walburga's strangled yells tore through the house. Regulus was sitting in the sofa, smirking. Luckily, Sirius' father hadn't been home when he decided to drop this bombshell.

"I CAN NOT STAND BELLATRIX. I CANNOT STAND RODOLPHUS. AND I CANNOT STAND YOU!"

"SIRIUS ORION BLACK YOU WILL COME TO SEE YOUR COUSIN MARRY OR YOU CAN GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

"Fine," Sirius said calmly, his chest heaving from the yells. Regulus' face turned to stone. "I'm gone."

IIIIIIIIIIIII

"I'll get it," James yelled as the door bell rung. He propped the slice of toast he was eating into his mouth and jogged down the hall to the white door. A friendly face greeted him, complete with trunk and broom.

"Alright mate," Sirius grinned. "Uh, spot of bother..."

James laughed. He knew exactly what Sirius was asking. "Course you can."

"Sirius!" James' mother came into the hall in a white dressing gown, her face void of make-up but none the less kind. "What happened my boy?" She grabbed hold of his trunk as he came over the threshold.

"Alright if he stays, right?" James asked casually, knowing what the answer would be. His mother looked at him with a concerned look on her face. "What? Of course! Of course it is! Come have some breakfast dear, leave your things I'll move them into the spare room later."

Sirius was shuffled into the familiar kitchen and sat down in one of the chairs. "Thanks, Mrs. P. I'm really sorry to just turn up like this, I just can't be there anymore."

Mrs. Potter waved her hand as she flew a plate in front of her surrogate son. "No worries, dear. You know you can stay as long as you want. Years, even. I dare say, this house is too big for three of us." A full english breakfast landed onto his plate, and he hesitated no longer in shovelling it down. It was only two days into the Easter holidays, and Sirius had already created a war at home, run away and gained a new family. "I'd better tell Andromeda," he said to James across the table. "She'd love it," James grinned back.

"Shit-" Sirius hissed as he remembered someone who would no doubt be showing up at his window that night. "Oh, sorry Mrs. P." He saw Mrs. Potters glare. She smiled at his apology. James frowned in confusion.

"I need to tell Sephie. She'll turn up tonight and get the shock of her life." Sirius took down a large gulp of eggs. As he chewed, he pointed his fork at his friend. "You can come, now."

James raised his eyebrows. "Well, I don't want to interrupt your late night activities with the ladies..." He smirked. Mrs. Potter's eyes grew wide at these words, her back turned as she was washing up. She stopped and turned to Sirius.

"Still one with the ladies, then, Sirius?" She asked, winking. Sirius blushed.

"Lad-Y, mum," James corrected her. "This dog's had it's day..."

"Oooooh, I see," The woman wiped the bubbles off her wand and took a seat, edging closer to Sirius. "So, who is this, lady?"

Sirius glared at James, who smirked and leaned back on his chair.

"Oh, she's, just a friend," he said, blushing again and turning back to his breakfast. James wiggled his eyebrows. "Yeah, 'friend'", he repeated, making quote marks with his fingers. Sirius put his cutlery down, gulped and glared at his best friend. "So, James, how is Lily Evans?" James' face dropped. His mother turned to face him, her face wide. "Oh, James! You aswell? How wonderful!" It was Sirius' time to smirk...

Sirius and James walked the stairs together, Mrs. Potter behind them, guiding Siriu's belongings. "Oh boys," she said, flustered. "You two are growing up so fast..." Both boys rolled their eyes. They reached the top of the stairs, and James turned to his mother. "Okay, Mum. We can take them from here." And before his mother had a chance to respond, he'd grabbed the trunk and hauled it into the spare room.

"So, what's the plan with young Persephone then?" James asked as Sirius started writing a letter to her at the desk. Sirius shrugged. "Nothing. Just friends."

James scoffed. "Pfft, yeah right. Sirius Black, friends with girls?". Sirius turned to him and raised his eyebrows before turning back to his paper. "James, do you not feel a little bit like it's time to grow up a little bit?" James shrugged behind him. "Well, no?". Sirius rolled his eyes. "Look," James sat on the bed next to the desk. "What's got into you lately?"

Sirius shrugged and attached the letter to the ankle of James' owl and let it out the window. James carried on. "Before you went to Hogsmeade with Sephie you had a different girl in a different broom cupboard every night. Now you haven't had sex in about six months."

"Hey!" Sirius turned to his best friend.

"How would I know anyway..." James narrowed his eyes. "You used to tell me everything..." Sirius turned back to the window and watched the bird fly away. James' eyes continued to narrow as the cogs in his brain turned. "Ever since you and her started frolicking about in the dark without us...You're sex life has gone way down and you're always fucking studying now. Always with your nose in that book she gave you. You've turned into a nerd, Padfoot. A nerd."

"Look!" Sirius stood up and faced his questioner, his temper rising slightly. "I am NOT a nerd! I have not changed! I've just...I've just..." But he had to admit it. He had. Slowly. But he had. But he wasn't going to let James know that. "I've run out of girls."

James didn't seem convinced. He stood to walk out of the room. "Good. Cos Mum and Dad are going away in two days and I'm having a house party." He shut the door and Sirius heard him climb the stairs to his attic bedroom. _Bugger..._

"Bye, boys," waved Mrs. Potter as she got into the car beside her husband. Sirius and James stood at the door and waved sweetly as she closed the door and drove off. "You've sent the invites yeah?" James asked through the corner of his mouth, still waving at his mother. "Yep. 207 altogether," Sirius replied in the same fashion. The car rolled out of the drive and they dropped their hands. James rub his together. "Fantastic. Let's get ready."

Remus and Peter turned up within the hour, and with a little help from the Potter's house elf Minty, there were streamers, music and enough crates of fire whisky to stock the Three Broomsticks for the next three years when the guests arrived. Within another hour, one hundred people were drunkenly stumbling around the Potter's house and garden- the other hundred seemed to be out in pairs lying down or propped against a wall. At this point, Sirius was standing in the kitchen with a bottle in hand, with a pretty wrecked best friend, who was waving a hypnotising finger closer to his face then he was safe with. "Look, mate," James slurred. "You'd better not be lying to me. You'd better not spend all night looking for Sephie. Alright? ALRIGHT?" Sirius nodded, rolling his eyes. James scoffed and pushed his way past a few thirteen-year-old Hufflepuffs who he was sure had only been there for ten minutes and were already falling over each other- and caught sight of Lily Evans. She was standing with Alice and Persephone, each with a cup in their hands, but none of them seemed very drunk. "Evening beautiful," James sidled up behind his target and leaned against the wall. Lily turned and rolled her eyes at him. "Hello. Drunk?". James shook his head and wobbled. "Nope. Not one teeeny bit." Alice whispered something about finding someone and scampered off, nearly getting knocked out by two large seventh year boys pushing each other. Sirius was the other side of the room, but couldn't see Persephone. Just like she couldn't see him. But he could see James, talking to Lily Evans. As usual. Sirius craned his neck, but even though he was one of tallest people in the room he couldn't see someone as small as Persephone. He caught James eye- James scowled. Maybe she hadn't turned up... He walked back into the kitchen, where Remus was deep in conversation with the blonde Miranda he was so into. Peter was no where to be seen. He sat at the breakfast bar, downed his bottle and cracked open another, downing it aswell. This party was turning out to be pretty rubbish...The room started spinning. Sirius was getting pretty wasted. And pretty bored of Remus' voice. He got up and went back into the living room, still not being able to see Persephone anywhere. _Maybe James was right_, he thought. _This is a party. I'm Sirius Black..._ He looked around the room. There were alot of hot girls there... His eyes fixed on a group of fourth years dancing near the tv. _She'd never even know..._He liked the look of the blonde...Nice hips. She turned and caught him staring, grinning seductively and shaking her behind even more. Sirius nodded to himself, downed his drink and went to join her.

Persephone made her way into the kitchen. She wasn't very drunk. In fact, she thought she was the most sober there. Lily had been dragged off by James, leaving her alone in a room full of drunken males. She caught sight of Remus and Miranda, sitting at the bar, drinking and chatting like they were at the pub. "Hey, have you guys seen Sirius?" She asked them, picking up another beer. She could tell Miranda was getting pretty drunk, her hair was starting to get messy and her giggle was getting louder. "No, honey," Miranda pouted in a sad face. "He was here a minute ago though. He looked pretty bummed out." Sephie sighed. "Okay, thanks." Miranda's ridiculously loud giggle shrieked across the room as she made her way back into the living room, and over to to the TV where Regina was talking to some girl from Hufflepuff. "Regina?" her other Ravenclaw friend was as drunk as the last. "Hmmmm?" Regina asked, her hands clasped on a cup each and her eye liner streaked at the corners of her eyes. Her eyes widened when she saw who was addressing her. "Oh my goood, Sephie! This is my best friend," Regina grabbed Sephie round the neck and swung her in front of the Hufflepuff. She jabbed her finger at her chest, spilling some drink down Sephie's black dress. "Debbie, this is Persephone. She's GREEK," Regina nearly shouted the last word. "She's my best friend. I love her...I love you Sephie..." She planted a big kiss on Sephie's cheek, leaving red lipstick stains. "That's great, Gee, look have you seen Sirius?" Regina ignored her and continued to tell Debbie about her 'bestest friend'. Persephone heard a group of girls giggling behind her as one tapped her on the shoulder. Fourth years...wearing next to nothing. "We saw Sirius," said the girl who tapped her. "He went outside." Persephone sighed and pushed Regina off, who didn't even notice. "Thankyou," she breathed, and dashed off towards the garden.

"I thought you were with Persephone," slurred the blonde girl as Sirius led her around the garden to the shed. Sirius staggered slightly, but kept his arm around her shoulders. "Pfft, no," he said frowning. "She's just a friend."

"Hmm, well Sandy said you two were really close, and I don't think you can be close to a girl without having sex," replied the blonde. Sirius turned to her. "Listen- what's your name again?"

"Melissa."

"Melissa, look," Sirius reached the shed. "We're not 'doing it', she's not into that kind of stuff. Now, I bet you are..." He took his arm off her shoulders and leaned against the wood facing her. The girl giggled. "You gonna kiss me or what?" he demanded. The girl smirked and leaned in. Sirius closed his eyes and forgot everything.

Persephone felt cold air hit her face, and was surrounded by kissing couples,(although she was sure the couple on the loveseat were doing more than kissing.). "For fuck's sake, Sirius," she muttered, looking around the garden. She heard a high pitched giggle from the shed, and rolled her eyes. 'Girls,' she muttered. But then, something else...'Sirius...stop it...' Persephone froze.

"You don't want me too, though, do you?" came the voice of Sirius.

"Hmm...no..." the girl giggled back.

Persephone sighed. Fantastic. She narrowed her eyes at the spot where the noises were coming from and wheeled around, storming back into the house. She walked into the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of fire whisky and downing it, before grabbing another. _That boy will never grow up, _she thought. _What an arse. _Remus and Miranda had disappeared, along with Lily and James and Sirius and his slut. _Slut...Sirius is the slut..._

She took two bottles and walked with purpose into the living room. She was going to enjoy this party. Regina was dancing in the middle of the room with Debbie, and Sephie joined them, indulging in the looks from boys she was getting. She downed the two bottles in her hands within five minutes and grabbed another from a male onlooker, who was raising his eyebrows in approval. She winked at him before taking a swig, Regina behind her getting just as much attention.

_Fuck Sirius Black, _she thought.

Sirius stood up and buttoned his trousers, the girl beside him looking ten times worse. Her make-up was streaked down her face and her hair was riddled with twigs. "Let's get a drink..." he said, holding his hand out for her to take. In the kitchen were Melissa's friends, gasping and asking questions as she returned looking as she did. "Oh, that Persephone girl is looking for you," one of them said. Sirius grinned. "Pfft..." and dragged the blonde into the living room.

She looked out of the corner of her eye and saw Sirius come into the room, his hair messed up and his shirt half undone. She smirked as he caught sight of her and pushed the blonde aside. Persephone made a spur of the moment decision, and grabbed Malcolm Donald, a seventh year who would be the hottest guy in school if it wasn't for the Marauders. He made no protest and shoved his lips into hers, grabbing her backside with force.

Sirius Black's face dropped.

He pushed his way through the crowd, feeling his temper rise. _How could she be such a slut?_ "Hey," he yelled, grabbing Malcolm and shoving him off her, pushing his chest. "Get off her!"

"Hey, I didn't know she was your girlfriend!" Malcolm replied, holding his hands out in his defence. "I'm not!" came Persephone's voice. Sirius grabbed her wrist and turned to her, holding a finger in her face. He'd suddenly sobered up. "Shut up you."

Persephone opened her mouth in shock. Regina turned round to see what was going on. "Hey, don't talk to Sephie like that!"

"You can't tell me to shut up!" Persephone yelled, pushing Sirius. "You can't tell me what to do!" Sirius narrowed his eyes at her angrily. "Are you drunk?". Persephone wavd her hands in the air and laughed. "It's a party of course I'm drunk!"

"Ah, so that's why you're acting like a little slut," Sirius said sarcastically. The room had started to fall silent. The group of fourth year girls were standing at the door, their faces a mix between smirking and shock. Everyone had turned to Sirius and Persephone. "Slut?" Persephone yelled. "Me? You're the slut, Sirius Black. you're the one shagging around!"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Sirius yelled, completely forgetting what he'd just got up to in the garden. Persephone laughed at his face. "Don't you play that game with me Sirius. You've spent this whole party with some girl up against the shed!" The eyes of the fourth years turned to Melissa, who was smirking proudly. "Some stupid little girl!"

The girls face dropped.

"No I haven't!" Sirius yelled. "I spent two hours looking for you! I didn't even drink anything until forty minutes ago because I wanted to wait for you! So you can shut up if you think all I've been doing all night is shagging, because it looks to me like that was your idea."

Persephone stepped forwards. Right into Sirius' face. And punched him square in the jaw. "Fuck you."

Sephie avoided Sirius all night. He seemed to take the decision to get even more drunk, and Persephone did the same. Everyone else knew that they were trying to piss each other off all night, but none of the girls or boys complained. On the contrary, the girls loved announcing loudly they'd just returned from Sirius' bedroom, and the boys were glad to finally get one over on Sirius Black. It was four am when everyone started to fall asleep. Sephie was still fuming, and her and Regina were sitting on the sofa with two boys, drifting off. Sirius was no where to be seen


	7. Wide Awake

_I Need To Talk, Need Conversation. Rack My Brains For Explanations. Need You Here Just Holding Me, Shield Me So They'll Leave Me Be. But That's The Way I've Always Been, And That's The Way I'll Always Be. And I See No Fucking Change In Me.-"Wide Awake", The Twang_

Sirius woke up the next day with a gigantic hangover. His head was pounding. He didn't remember anything from the previous night. He looked at his clock- 2pm. _Better go find everyone,_ He thought, thinking mainly of Persephone. He had no idea of the argument they'd gotten into. He shuffled out of his room in just his boxers, and down the stairs slowly, holding his head as he made his way into the kitchen. Persephone, Remus and James all fell silent as he walked in. The two boys looked at him, but Persephone just looked away. Sirius grinned. _She must look rough _He thought.

"Um, mate I made some breakfast, here," James jumped up and handed him a plate. Sirius took a few sausages, but didn't feel up to much else, before taking a seat next to Persephone. "Eugh," was all she said, rolling her eyes. Sirius scowled. "Morning?" he asked tentatively. Remus widened his eyes at Sirius, not being able to believe his chirpiness after the previous nights events. "Seph? What-" Sirius began, but was cut off by James. "Um, Seph, is Regina still asleep in the living room?" Persephone nodded, eating a slice of bread and acting as if Sirius wasn't there. He leant in to Remus and whispered "What's up with her?". But apparently Persephone heard, as she stood up, knocking her plate over and glowering at Sirius.

"What is wrong with _me, _Sirius, is that you spent this entire six months telling me you were fed up with everyone thinking you were some man-whore, but then shag seven under-age girls in one night!"

The kitchen fell silent. Regina was standing at the doorway looking incredibly awkward. Sirius looked incredibly confused. And Persephone looked incredibly angry. She grabbed a slice of toast before storming upstairs.

"Seph! Wait!" Sirius called after her when he'd regained his composure. He slowly walked to his door, and opened it, half expecting a punch in the face. "Seph?"

She was lying on her stomach on his bed, staring out the window and hugging her pillow. He stood beside her awkwardly. "Look..I don't remember what I did last night. Anything. So I must've been pretty drunk." Persephone turned her head and gave him her best "not good enough" look. She turned back to the window when she thought he'd got the jist. He sighed and sat down next to her. "Look, Seph," he searched for some words. He'd never had to apologise to a girl before. He looked at his hands. Then the ceiling. Then the back of her head. Her mahogany hair was curlier than usual. She was wearing a pair of pyjama pants and vest. He tried to remember what she was wearing last night...A vision filled his mind.

"Look, I don't remember much. I remember looking for you. I remember asking everyone where you were. I remember getting really bummed out because I couldn't find you. Then the next thing I remember is seeing you kissing Malcolm Donald and being absolutley wasted...oh, and I'm guessing you punched me? Cos my jaw hurts alot."

Persephone smiled as she remembered the punch. But she didn't say anything. Sirius sighed. "Sephie? Please tell me what happened." She sat up and turned to him, still looking angry.

"What happened was, I spent two hours looking for you, only to find out pinning some fourteen year old up against the shed."

"Oh..."

He walked out of the room. He didn't know what else to say.

Sephie had got dressed and come down with Regina to watch some television with Remus and James. Sirius returned to his room and stayed there until about six. He listened to everyone talking and laughing downstairs. He could tell he'd really upset Persephone. But she did upset him too. He'd realised how stubborn she was though. And the new, grown-up Sirius was not proud like he wouldv'e been before and his activities. And he was not happy with the tension between him and Persephone. He hoped it had all blown over. He could smell her on his bed, despite her only being there for about fifteen minutes. Well, either that or it was a girl he'd apparently slept with he could smell. He took his face off the duvet, feeling disgusted with himself. _Seven under-age girls, _she'd said. Remus and James didn't deny it. His stomach rumbled although he didn't feel hungry, but none the less he got up and made his way quietly down into the kitchen. He pushed open the door, hoping no-one would hear him. But Persephone was making a cup of tea. "Oh," she said as she saw him, her smile fading slightly. Sirius sighed, and went to leave. _No, _he thought. He was going to make this better. He was going to do what Andromeda said... He walked up behind her and put his arms around her, waiting for her to push him off. She didn't. He rested his head down on her shoulder. She stayed perfectly still.

"Persephone, I'm really sorry."

She sighed. Relaxed a little.

"Seph, Remus told me what happened. I guess.. I just got upset. I didn't think you saw me with Melissa, and when you were saying stuff to me about how I had to cut down on girls and then seeing you being...I don't know..._not you..._I didn't want boys to think of you like girls think of me."

Sephie smiled. Sirius decided to tell her the whole truth. "And, I know I said I wasn't having sex anymore to you the other night, but...while I was at Hogwarts I was. Not as much though. Just...I don't know. It's kind of hard to go without it for such a long time..."

"I do it," Sephie said. Sirius stopped and lifted his head. _No, she can't of..._

"Yeah but you haven't-"

"Yes I have," Sephie said, she turned to face Sirius, who dropped his arms and glared at her. Her green eyes locked onto his own grey ones. He never really thought about Persephone being like that…maybe it was because, arrogantly, she'd never come on to him. "I just don't make a big thing out of it. Like some people.". Sirius sighed. "Look, I was really drunk, okay? I was upset, I thought you'd ditched me. It was only one girl until I saw you. Then I just wanted to piss you off. I guess it worked." Sephie laughed. "You think?"

Sirius shook his head, before pulling her into a hug again. "Please don't hate me."

Sephie's face was in his chest. "I don't," she mumbled. There was a seconds silence. "You know, I nearly turned into a Panda. Luckily I was wasted so I didn't. I just got angry."

Sirius laughed. "Come on. Make me some tea. My head hurts.". And as he watched her make the tea, he felt his heart sink knowing he was one of the only boys not to kiss Persephone that night.


	8. Roses

_Turn Around, There's Those Eyes Again. Turn Around, Fake Indifference And I Watch Their Cold Dark Silhouettes Disappear. A Hundred Bodies Fill This Room And All Their Faces Overdone. I Don't Even Know You. You Won't Even Know I'm Gone. Was It Something I Did Wrong? Why Are Some Girls So Naive? He Didn't Unbutton Your Blouse To See A Better View Of Your Heart. I Can't Blame You For Trying.-"Roses", Meg and Dia._

Sirius and Persephone became closer than ever after their disagreement and reconciliation, and Sirius was quite gutted when Sephie said she'd be leaving to go to Greece for a week in the summer.

"Why don't you come stay for a few days when I get back? Mum and the twins are staying there for an extra week with Demeter, so it'll be an almost empty house anyway." Sephie suggested as she walked with Sirius to lunch from a tedious and exam-filled Transfiguration. They hadn't noticed the two fourth years behind them, friends of Melissas, who were listening in on their conversation. Sirius smiled, and turned to her. "That would be cool," he said. Sephie returned the smile. "Yeah, it would be.". They parted ways as they sat at their tables, and James noticed Melissa's friends were scowling at Persephone as they sat down beside their ring leader at the Hufflepuff table.

"Look like you've got trouble," James nodded in their direction as Sirius sat down beside him. Sirius looked up and saw two girls whispering to Melissa, who turned and looked at Persephone.

"They were right behind you two when you walked in," James said, before taking a bite of his food. Sirius scowled, but shrugged. "Who cares?"

III

"Sirius is staying at hers?" one girl hissed to another across the classroom in History of Magic, and Sirius scowled as James raised his eyebrows beside him.

"Yeah, how weird? I didn't think they were _that_ close," came the reply. "Yeah, didn't he get with that Melissa girl at James's party?" came another girl's voice. The first girl piped up again. "Yeah, but didn't you hear? he got really upset when he saw her with Malcolm, they had a huge argument."

"Really? I wish I'd gone now," the second girl replied. Sirius slammed his quill down and turned to the corner where the voices were coming from. The third girl was talking again, but shut up and hushed her friends as she saw Sirius glaring.

"It's amazing how quick news travels in Hogwarts, isn't it?" James asked casually. Sirius sighed. "Why do people have to talk about me, though?"

"Because you choose to be the most sexed bachelor of Hogwarts," Lily said from infront of them, not turning around. "You brought this upon yourself."

Sirius scowled. Lily continued. "If your life wasn't so much of a soap opera, people wouldn't bother talking about you.".

Sirius looked back at the girls, who were now passing notes. He hardly knew them, he knew one of them was called Theresa, cos he'd kissed her in third year. But how did they know so much about him? And Seph, her life wasn't a soap opera. Well, the party was kind of, but that was about all. Regina passed him a note slyly under the table, which he took and read in his lap.

_Ignore them. I'll handle it. x_

Sirius smiled, wondering what Regina was going to do. She was very bossy...and the undeniable know-all of Hogwarts. She flicked her hair and coughed slightly, before turning to Lily. "psst, Lils," she said in a stage whisper, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Did you hear about Tony Beaufort?" Lily glared at her, wondering what the hell she was doing. "um, no?"

Regina smiled the smile of a girl in the know. "Oh, he and Angelica Mason were caught up on the Quidditch pitch on Wednesday, you know, at it."

The girls in the corner widened their eyes at the feast of gossip Regina had just divulged. Sirius smirked as Regina tried to convey to a very confused Lily to play along. Of course, Tony Beaufort was a very studious Ravenclaw, and Angelica Mason was a Slytherin, but girls who gossip were so gullible...

Within a day, everyone had totally forgotten that Sirius Black was spending four days at Persephone Scamander's almost empty house, and Angelica Mason was trying desperately to explain to her friends that she was not on the Quidditch pitch with muggle born Tony, who was dumbfounded by the sudden popularity he seemed to have gained. Apart from Melissa, who was still bitching about Sephie to anyone who would listen. Sephie didn't seem to notice, though, and was chirpy as ever when she jumped infront of Sirius in the corridor after his Charms lesson. "Hey," she smiled, and he turned his frown upside down instantly. "Hey," he replied happily. "You coming out tonight?" she asked, readjusting her bag to compensate her masses of heavy books. "Yeah, sounds good," Sirius replied, wondering how someone so small could cope with so many books. "My lessons been moved," she continued. "It's on the third floor now."

"Right near me," Sirius grinned, and the two turned together and walked past Melissa, who noticed Sephie's hand was on the strap of Sirius's bag as they made their way across the crowd.

"Oh, just so you know," Sephie said to Sirius as they aligned next to each other once out of the crowd. "I know you didn't have sex with Melissa last tuesday like she's telling everyone."

Sirius turned to her, amazed. "What? She's telling everyone that?" Sephie laughed. "Yeah, think she's turning into a bit of a stalker," she said, not bothered. "Apparently you promised her you only had eyes for her..." Sephie said in a mocking tone, grinning. "How cute. haha."

Sirius shook his head and took Sephie's arm as he saw a crowd up ahead. "Let's go the long way, I don't fancy all those people," he steered her towards the outside courtyard.

"Is it bothering you?" she asked him as they got outside, concern across her face. Sirius shrugged. "Well, a little. I don't want people thinking that of me. But, Lily said it's my own for being such a..._soap opera._"

Sephie sighed. "Yeah, but you didn't ask for little girls to pretty much announce your engagement, did you?". Sirius turned to her and gave her an apologetic look. "Look, i'm sorry for all this, all these people talking. I just..." he sat down at the side of the walkway and dropped his bag. "I'm just such a shit person."

Sephie took a small gasp and sat down beside him. "No you're not! What makes you say that?". Sirius shrugged and looked away from her. She carried on. "Sirius, you're smart, you're funny, and you're a loyal friend. You are not a shit person." Sirius scoffed. "Can't control myself, though, can I?"

Sephie laughed slightly and took his hand. He turned back to look at her, and his eyes caught hers and he saw a genuine friendship. "We can work on that," she replied. "Just ignore what everyone says. Melissa's stupid, everyone knows that. Within a week everyone will slag her off for being a drama queen, you know what it's like.". Sirius nodded, and automatically pushed the lock of hair behind her ear, fighting the urge to lean in to her. He always wanted to, when she spoke like that. She understood, not like those girls who pretended they did. _Control..._he told himself. It was more important with Sephie than anyone else. He couldn't ruin it.

"You wanna sit here, you know, bunk?" Sephie asked after a few minutes of silence, smirking mischeviously. It was a hot day, and Sirius was enjoying being away from everyone in the sunshine. He turned to her to smiled. "Yeah, that'd be good.". They were quiet for a few more minutes, comfortably, both leaning and closing their eyes against the sun.

"You're still going to come stay, aren't you?" she asked. Sirius looked at her and squinted. "Why wouldn't I?". Sephie smiled. "Dunno, just..."

"I don't mind them talking about me and you," he said. She turned to face him. "Proving you can be friends with girls," she said, reading his mind and turning back to the sun. He felt her close to him. He had to prove he could be just friends with her, no matter what else he wanted.

IIIII

"Idea," James said, lifting his finger from his chin as his eyes lit up. Remus rolled his eyes, and proceeded to hunt through his bag for his notes as Sirius turned to James. "And what would that be? Is this a prank or a Lily thing?"

James raised his eyebrows at Sirius, who understood. "A Lily thing. Great..." he added sarcastically. James tapped his chin. "But, you see, it is an occasion for all..." he said mysteriously. Remus followed them round a corner as Peter joined them, none of them greeting him, just continuing walking as he tried to keep up.

"And what would this occasion be, then?" Sirius asked, picking an apple out of his bag, throwing it in the air, catching it and taking a bite as a few girls giggled. One of them was Peter. James turned to Sirius in a way that meant he was running through a plan in quick-time. "Hogsmeade, Honeydukes. Sweets, Party, Our Dorm."

Sirius nodded, thinking that it would actually be a good way to almost force Lily and James together. "We should get some booze as well, make it a hottenanny rather than a shin dig."

James nodded, smiling at his compadre. "I like your thinking, Padfoot. Operation Hottenanny starts tomorrow," he said, knocking knuckles. "It's okay then? I thought you might be going to Hogsmeade with Seph, you know, seeing as you two spent a whole two hours together the otherday instead of turning up for the fun-filled Defense lesson we had."

Sirius scowled, annoyed that he missed out on fun, until Remus's casual and otherwise attended voice piped up. "I didn't think you enjoyed mock exams, James?"

Sirius laughed, as James knocked his mate. "Oi, Moony, I was trying to make him feel bad."

"Jeez," Sirius mocked. "I'm so upset that I spent all afternoon lazing in the sun while you sat in an exam. And, for the record, me and Sephie are friends."

James nodded. "Yep."

Sirius scowled, but didn't argue as Sephie was sitting at their table when they entered, James wiggling his eyebrows as she smiled at them. "Afternoon, boys," she said, pushing her opened book towards them as they sat. "Ready to make some Euphoria?"

"I get that in this lesson anyway," James said, looking at Lily as she took out her own book. She tried to scowl at him, but her mouth twitched at the corners. James sighed. Severus was sitting across the classroom, scowling more and more each lesson, but James was ignoring him. He had to behave around Lily, and the fact that he wasn't being provoked was only making him more jealous of James.

"Lily, what are you doing?" Sirius asked as she slapped his hand away from the potion as it began to brew from a green to yellow. "It says stir it, look." He pointed to the book and raised his eyebrows. Lily sighed. "It's a shame that the first time you get something right in potions, I have to contradict you, but well done anyway," she said, before crushing a sprig of peppermint in her hands and adding it to the potion. It turned slightly green, bubbled slightly, but as James went to protest, it settled back down to yellow.

"Perfect," she smiled. Sephie scowled. "Uh, what did that do?". Lily beamed. "It stops you singing too much when you drink it."

Severus walked past just as she said it, and quickly made a mental note, before scowling as James complimented her on her knowledge. She smiled. "Thankyou, James."

"You still coming to Hogsmeade?" he asked, a slight sparkle of hope in his voice, like everytime he asked her he expected her to say no. She nodded as she stirred the potion a little more. "Of course, why wouldn't I be?"

James smiled and settled, and Sephie jerked her head to Sirius towards the cupboard, and he got up and followed her, leaving James and Lily in their contentment.

"Bloody hell, I don't think Lily and James need that stuff," Sirius said, as he and Sephie pretended to be searching for ingredients and watching the pair they'd left behind talk and smile. Lily laughed and caught James's eye, before looking back down at the potion. "You know, she'll deny she was flirting when I tell Miranda," Sephie said, her arms crossed as Severus pushed passed the two. "Bloody hell, how long as he been in here?" Sirius asked, thinking they were alone in the cupboard and scowling. Sephie rubbed her elbow. "I don't know, but that hurt," she said, pointing her wand at the moody hump now crouched over his desk. A tiny, almost non-existant blot of light flew out and hit him in the head, causing him to squeal and rush to the sink as a nasty burn mark appeared. "Wanker."

Lily didn't even notice.

IIII

Lily and Alice had perched themselves on James' bed, talking to Remus and Peter as they awaited the arrival of the Ravenclaws, the two other Marauders and several crates of Butterbeer.

"Bonjour," Sirius said happily as their dorm room burst open, Sirius and James both carrying large barrels, and the girls behind them laden with bottles of Firewhiskey, some other liquor and couldy lemonade.

"You haven't eaten it all, have you?" Sephie asked as he dumped the bottles onto Sirius' bed. Regina set her bottles down on the bedside table and pushed her hair behind her ear. "Okay, listen everyone, I think you should all know that me and Miranda have a mock exam tomorrow morning, as we missed the last one due to someone's prank-" she narrowed her eyes at James. "-and that we've already had alot to drink thanks to that same someone today."

"Oh Regina," Lily sighed. "Lighten up, it's only a mock.". Miranda's eyes grew wide as she popped beans in her mouth. "Regina, I didn't sign up to do the exam. It's a Sunday."

"Yes, but, I took the liberty of signing you on on your behalf," Regina said happily. Miranda sighed. "Oh well, just won't go," she mumbled, annoyed at Regina's proactive regime.

"But," Regina's face looked concerned. "You won't know how well your grades are, you won't know what to work on!"

"Gee?" Sephie sighed and threw a bottle at her. "Shut up and drink."

Regina looked down at the bottle, then up to her peers as they opened their own bottles. She shrugged. "Well, I suppose one can't hurt."

Within an hour and a half, James was lying with his head in Lily's lap, and she wasn't complaining, and Regina was asking Peter inappropriate and tactless questions that threw him off guard. "Sephie," Miranda slurred as she retold a story. "She bloody got sent out thanks to Sirius, and I got stuck next to him all lesson. He was telling me all sorts of rubbish, trying to tell me how he couldn't understand why, with his brain, he couldn't make it into the upper echerons of the social hierachy, and two months later look at him! One word from Regina and he's the fox of the school."

Remus laughed. "Well, I wouldn't call Tony the fox of the school," he replied. But Miranda shook her head. "Well, we need someone, now Sirius has made himself a new man," she nodded at Sirius, who shrugged. "Well, we all gotta grow up sometime."

"Well," Miranda smiled. "I'm glad you've taken that route, Sirius, how noble.". Sirius shrugged again, and Sephie leant her head against his shoulder. They were sitting on the floor, slumped against the ends of the beds, several empty bottles rolling around on the floor and various cakes left out.

"Here," Miranda passed Sephie the lemonade bottle. "Oh, wait, it's empty. Bugger.". Sephie waved her hand at Miranda dismissively. "Ah, don't worry," she said, before opening her bottle of liquor and taking a swig. Miranda gasped. "You badass," she laughed. Sephie shrugged, yawning. "Who cares, tomorrow's Sunday."

Remus turned to Miranda and initiated a conversation based upon something that interested neither Sirius or Sephie. Sirius looked at Sephie as he leant forward to grab another beer, leaving her to lean back against the bed. "What is that, anyway?" He asked as she put the bottle to her mouth. She swallowed and looked at the label. "Uhh..._Bacardi.._some kind of muggle rum Miranda had."

"Rum?" he asked, taking his place next to her and opening his bottle. "Didn't place Miranda as a rum person."

"Yeah, there's alot of things you don't know about Miranda," Sephie said, nodding. Sirius laughed. "Like what?"

"Well," Sephie leant forward, close to Sirius's ear. He felt her breath on his neck, warm, gentle. "She's never had sex, but wants it _bad_ with Remus."

Sirius almost choked on his butterbeer. "What? Really? Well..." Sirius raised his eyebrows before taking more beer. "Moony will be delighted."


	9. Me Me Me

_I Don't Like The Way You're Dressed And Forward Three Steps Take Four Back. I Don't Like The Way You're Trying Your Best To Impress Me When Everything You Do Makes Me Want To Run Home. Gimme What I Want, Gimme What I Want.-"Me Me Me", Kids In Glass Houses_

It was the end of the summer holidays almost, and Sirius and Persephone were sitting on the balcony of her boathouse in the sun. Cloud was panting heavily at their feet, having gone out for a run with them that morning, the dog being Sephie's inspiration for her own dog transformation. Sirius had been at hers for two days, and had one more day before he was due to go back to the Potter's. Persephone had just got back from Greece, and Sirius had missed her more than he had imagined her would. He took James out to the park a few nights, but it wasn't the same. Persephone leaned back and put her feet up on another chair, skin already tanned but evidently needing some more sun.

"I can't wait until tomorrow," she said lazily. Sirius looked at her, hurt. She noticed and jumped to correct her mistake. "No, I don't mean your last day. I mean, over the river the Muggles have a big music festival. It starts tomorrow. You can watch from here. It's so cool, they get so drunk."

Sirius smiled. He loved muggle music. He lie his head down on the table and closed his eyes, feeling the sun hitting the back of his neck. He heard Sephie's father's voice call from the river bank.

"Sephie! I've got to go to Scotland for a couple of days!". His daughter ran over to the balcony and leant over to reply. "Why?"

Sirius looked round and saw Dactyl in an expensive set of robes, holding a few rolls of parchment. "Conference, just came up. I have to take someone's place. I'll be back by Monday, but can you look after yourself until then? Your mother and the other's won't be home from Greece until Wednesday."

Sephie nodded. "Sure thing, Dad."

And with a crack, her father disapparated. She turned to look at Sirius, lifted her sunglasses and wiggled her eyebrows. "Party? Huh, huh? Oh yes."

_Oh lord, _he thought. _Stay sober this time…_

This party was almost as wild as James'. Sirius and Sephie had managed to move most of the valuable things out of the way and lock them in the loft, although the whole of Sephie's house was covered in Ancient maps and globes, books and diagrams of creatures. James had pushed Lily in the swimming pool, and Lily was not happy. Alice and Frank had disappeared in the boat house, Regina was once again dancing wildly at the pool side and Remus and Miranda were in a drunken debate. The witches and wizards were waving as ferry-loads of muggle festival-goers passed, all as drunk as they were. The music was provided by the festival, and there was plenty of fire whisky and butterbeer. Sirius and Sephie were together this time. Sirius was drunk, but not angry. Sephie was the same. Girls were trying to follow Sirius everywhere, but he always went back to Sephie. They spent most of the night with their feet dangled in the pool, drinking and laughing at Lily and James' flirting.

"You are going to die for this Potter!" Lily yelled, her red hair drenched as she floated in the pool. James was in tears next to Sirius, who pushed his best friend in after her.

"_Sirius!"_ James yelled as he came up from the pool to uncontrollable laughter from his friends. "You're supposed to be on my side!". Lily had managed to swim to the side, breathing heavily as tears rolled down her cheeks. James turned and saw her. "Oh, funny?" He asked, raising his eyebrows and splashing water at her.

"James!" She yelled, covering her face even though she was already drenched. James smiled. "Knew I could get you to shout my name.". Lily was laughing to hard to retaliate. Sirius had just finished his beer and set it down. "You two are so ridic-HEY!" Sephie had drunkenly pushed him in the pool. Remus and Miranda were now watching and laughing as the events unfolded. A crowd had gathered around the pool, several girls jumping in when they saw Sirius bobbing up and down, shaking his head like a dog and water hitting Sephie.

"You'd better come in," He said to her, her feet splashing water in his face. She raised her eyebrows and stood up, before diving into the pool and resurfacing next to him. The young girls who had been eyeing up Sirius frowned as they saw the girl next to him again. "What is their deal?" Melissa asked, the group of fourth years had taken their tops off obviously in a "subtle" way to get Sirius' attention, but he was too busy dragging Sephie underwater in an wrestling match. Lily and James were at the side of the pool, having what seemed like a decent conversation. "Seph! Come here a second!" Lily shouted as she resurfaced. Seph rolled her eyes at Sirius and swam to join her friend, leaving Sirius on his own in the middle of the pool. The fourth year girls looked at each other and smirked, before moving in on their prey. Sirius was too busy shaking his long black hair out of his grey eyes that he hadn't noticed until it was too late. Five girls were circling him, and he couldn't get out. _Balls,_ he thought. He looked at Sephie, who had her back to them, hanging off the side of the wall and talking to Lily.

"Hey, Sirius," Melissa cooed. "Remember what happened last time you were this drunk?"

"No, actually, I don't," he replied shortly, trying to divert his eyes from the fifteen-year-old breasts under the water who were trying to rub against him. It was like being attacked my merpeople.

"Well, let me refresh your memory…" she cooed back, biting her lip as she ran her hand across his stomach and under his shirt to giggles from her friends. "Hey!", he cried slapping her hand away. "What the hell are you doing?". He was shocked. "You're like fifteen!"

"That didn't stop you last time," Melissa scowled. Sirius sighed. "Yeah, and last time I got in a lot of trouble and last time I was a lot more drunk and a lot more stupid."

Melissa looked shocked now. Shocked, hurt and shot-down. Sirius gave her a dirty look. "And put some fucking clothes on!"

"Hey! Sirius!" called Sephie from the side of the pool, where she'd clambered out with Lily and James, all dripping wet. "Coming to get some food?".

Sirius gave the girls one last look, pushed them away and swam to join Sephie, leaving his fan club torn. Sephie gave them a smirk.

"Bitch," Melissa muttered.

"Here you guys," Sephie threw Sirius' suitcase onto her bed in front of her shivering friends. "Pick what you want, I'll just grab some clothes…" She stumbled a bit as she picked out a pink polo shirt and a khaki skirt. Lily grabbed a blue t-shirt and linen shorts from her friend's wardrobe and turned to look at James, who was smirking. "You can get changed in here…" Lily rolled her eyes. Sephie grinned and left the room. Lily's face dropped. "Seph!"

"Laters," she grinned as she closed the door, leaving the two alone. She took her clothes up to the bedroom Sirius was staying in and knocked. "Can I come in? Those two are canoodling in mine."

Sirius opened the door, dressed just in a pair of jeans and his tennis shoes. "Sure, uh…"

He was thinking of a place for Sephie to get changed, but she'd already taken off her top with her back to him. _Obviously still quite drunk, _he thought. He stared at her brown back for half a second, before snapping into reality and pulling on a white polo shirt with a blue and red stripe. He continued to face the wall, waiting for Sephie to say she was done, but as she leaned past him and grabbed her clothes from off his bed, he caught sight of her dressed only in her baby blue underwear. _Christ, Seph, don't do this…_

She paused as she pulled on her skirt, seeing Sirius was looking at her out of the corner of his eye. "What?"

"OH! I umm…nothing," Sirius looked out of the window. Sephie pulled on her shirt and laughed. "You are such a perv," she commented. Sirius was taken aback. "What? No I'm not!" He argued, turning to look at a now clothed Persephone, who was smirking.

"Yes you are, look," She lifted up her shirt. Sirius' eyes widened for half a second before he looked away as if it burnt his eyes.

"Seph! Stop it!" he closed his eyes, but Sephie was laughing. "Why, what's wrong? If you're not a perv it won't be a problem…"

"Seph! You said yourself I'm a boob man, now stop it," He said, laughing slightly, realising how drunk they both were. Seph was quite wasted. "Come on, Sirius," she cooed, mocking the girls from earlier. "We're both drunk…no-one will know…". Sirius wasn't sure whether she was being serious or whether she was just mocking the girls from earlier. "Seph, stop it…". he said, but half of him wanted her to be serious. He assumed this was the drunken part of him. "You don't want me too, though…" she cooed as he turned to look at her. Her eyes met his, the look on her face a mischievous smirk, she raised one eyebrow seductively at him, her shirt was down, one hand holding the collar of her shirt down slightly. She looked like one of the girls on one of his posters. "Come on and-"

But Sirius's drunken brain had taken over. He gambled on her being serious. He grabbed her and locked lips, his hand in her hair and one hand on her back, sweeping her towards him. After a few shocked seconds, Sephie grinned and started kissing him back, her hands running up his shirt and up his slender body. He moved a hand from her hair and down her body, up her top, and up to her chest-

She pulled away, grinning, and raised her eyebrows again. "Told you so," she said, before skipping out of the room. Sirius sighed.


	10. Foundations

i think it's important i tell you that Sirius and Sephie do not remember kissing. as they were so wasted.

_Then You'll Call Me A Bitch And Everyone We're With Will Be Embarrased And I Won't Give A Shit. Yes It Was Childish And You Got Aggressive, And I Must Admit That I Was A Bit Scared But It Gives Me Thrills To Wind You Up. Your Face Is Pasty Cos You've Gone And Got So Wasted. What A Surprise, I Cannot Look At Your Face Cos It's Making Me Sick-"Foundations", Kate Nash_

The Sixth year was proving to be painful for Sirius. It was NEWT year and he was starting to feel the pressure now, at October, with a foot of parchment rolled across the table. Blank. Sirius stared at it as if willing words to appear. James was doodling absent mindedly beside him on his own blank parchment. Peter was asleep, and Remus was, of course, almost finished, his face screwed up and about an inch from the paper as he scrawled sentances. Sirius turned to stare at him, narrowing Sirius replied, shaking his head. "Can't you draw something useful, like all of the notes we should have on the perfect Felix Felicis?"

James shook his head, grinning. "Sorry, mate. You know as well as I do we both had our minds elsewhere.". It was true that they were both paying no attention, as Persephone and Lily were in their class and sat infront of them. But James was the one doodling pornographic images and handing them to Lily, not Sirius.

"Boys?" Came a familiar sing-sing voice from the staircase. Lily. She came bounding down the stairs and across the room to perch upon the arm of Remus's chair, a grin on her face. "What are you so happy about, eh? Have you actually finished this ridiculous essay?" James asked, slightly annoyed. Lily nodded, then shook her head, still smiling. "Yes, I've finished the essay, but no, that's not why I'm smiling."

Sirius frowned at her. "So why are you smiling?". Lily danced slightly before clapping her hands together, twisting them awkwardly. "Well...Sephie, Alice, Miranda and I have been invited to Slughorn's Halloween party again and this year, we thought you three might want to come.". James frowned. "What about Peter?". Lily shot the sleeping mass a disgusted look. "Eugh.". That was enough explanation.

"Sounds...great," Sirius said, although he knew Slughorn's parties were always complained about. "When is it?". Lily got up to return to the upstairs dorm. "Oh, tonight.". The boys looked at each other. "Shit."- Before dashing upstairs to get changed.

"Ready?" Lily asked, Alice beside her straightening out her blue dress. James was staring google eyed at Lily, who was wearing a quite low-cut purple and cream number, and followed her out of the portrait hole with less than a yard between them. Sirius crawled out next, followed by Remus and Alice, and the five of them walked the corridors in the usually chatty manner to meet the two Ravenclaws. They saw Miranda first. Remus stuttered out a greeting as his eyes wandered over her patterened halter neck dress. Sirius didn't think Moony had ever seen boobs before. Well, not ones he cared for. "Where's Seph?" he asked, looking around for the small greek. "Oh, she forgot something, she'll be here in a minute," Miranda explained as her date kissed her cheek in a polite manner. "I am here!" came Sephie's voice round the corner, and Sirius turned. "How do I look?". Sirius looked up and down. She was wearing a red and white striped mini-dress, which showed of a waist which Sirius was sure he could put his hand around. "Wow," he said. "Anyone else would look like a candy cane, but for some reason you look kinda hot." Sephie slapped his chest playfully and grinned. "And anyone else would get a slap for a comment like that but I think that's the most complimentary thing you've ever said to a girl and meant it.". Sirius smiled back at her. "Thanks," and gave her a kiss on the cheek, before taking her arm (Gentlemanly, to Sephie's surprise) and leading her behind the others to Slughorn's office. When they got inside, there were several people who Sirius had never seen before who apparently went to Hogwarts. And several girls scowled when they saw Sephie once again attached to his side. In their eyes, it was her fault Sirius was no longer taking them roughly in the broom closets of Hogwarts.

"Girls! Let me introduce you," came the booming voice of Slughorn as he came rushing over to them, the smell of sherry on his moustache and two tall men behind them. Sirius recognised one at once- only one man would seriously think long, white-blonde hair was a masculine trait. His eyes narrowed, but he kept his mouth shut. Malfoy's own eyes looked down his long nose at him. "Lucius, Dermot, these are the star pupils. Lily Evans, fantastic at Potions. Miranda Monroe, knows a skilled expecially in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Alice here, Alice Vance? Incredibly good at Charms. Beautiful little things she can do. And of course, this little thing here is Persephone Scamander, who is quite the whizz at Transfiguration.". Malfoy raised his eyebrows disgustedly at Lily, being a muggle born, and again at half-blood Miranda. Sirius felt James squirm beside him with the desire to curse Malfoy backwards. But Sirius seriously had to wrestle his insides down when Malfoy's eyes gave Persephone an approving look and a flirtatious smile crossed his thin lips. Sirius scowled deathly stares at Malfoy, warning him off. Malfoy laughed as he saw Sirius' face. It only gave him more determination.

"Oh! Mulciber!" boomed Slughorn as his eyes caught another student and dragged the two men away from the girls and their men.

"Wanker," Sirius and James breathed in unison. "Absolute wanker.". Persephone tugged Sirius's arm, telling he was aching to curse Malfoy. "Come on, mate. Let's get us some drinks." She pulled him off to the table laiden with bottles of various beers, fire whisky and punch. Sirius grabbed a beer and Sephie took some punch, and they both turned to face the party. "You know, you brush up good," Sephie whispered to Sirius as they watched the students mingle with the professionals. He smiled.

"Persephone!" came the ever louder voice of the host, who was constantly on his toes. He was beckoning to her. "There's someone I want you to meet, my dear, come come...". She rolled her eyes, gave Sirius an apologetic look and followed the professor through the crowd. Sirius sighed and went to talk to a dancing James and Lily.

"Where's Sephie?" Lily asked, looking deeply concerned that Sirius should be left unattended in room full of girls and alcohol. Sirius shrugged. "Had to meet someone."

"Oh," Lily nodded. "Yeah, Slughorn said he wanted her to meet some Seventh Year called Jack who was also really good at Transfiguration in Ravenclaw. Seems to think there's some connection or something. Strange man."

Sirius nodded. He had no reason at this point to feel threatened, not even by a Seventh Year Transfiguration whizz. After all, who beats Sirius Black?

Jack Elwood.

Slughorn had left Sephie and Jack at a table, and the two were getting along famously. They'd never really spoken before. Sirius went over for a few moments to chat. He recognised Jack from Quidditch, and congratulated him on a fantastic game against Slytherin earlier that week. But after a few minutes he became very aware that he had absolutely nothing to add to the conversation. And that Jack was making Sephie laugh with jokes he couldn't even begin to understand. Sirius scowled and left the table to get more beer, hoping Sephie would follow. But she didn't even look up from the table. Infact, she continued to carry on with Jack as if Sirius had never even been there in the first place. Fabulous. Once again, Persephone had ditched him at a party. He took down a couple more beers before Remus joined him at the table. "Moony, why is it whenever I go to a party with Persephone. I always end up alone and drunk." He asked retorically. Remus uncorked a beer and looked over his shoulder at the table across the room. "Oh, don't worry Padfoot. I'm sure she'll come back in no time.". Sirius scoffed as he watched Sephie take down another cup of punch. He grabbed her another and took it over to the table. "Here," he said, sitting down again. Sephie mumbled a "Thankyou" before continuing her in-depth description of Reading. Sirius rolled his eyes. "Oh, Sirius," Persephone finally noticed he was there, and he perked up slightly. "Did you know, Jack has been offered to train to be an Auror already. Most students don't even get offered a place until the results are out!". Sirius smiled a sarcastic smile. "Oh, fabulous," he said before stalking off to see Moony.

"Oh dear," James said matter-of-factly as he saw Sirius sitting at a table talking to a fifth year, another bottle of beer in his hand. Lily turned her head and sighed. "For god's sakes, does that boy need Sephie with him twenty-four seven?"

"Well, you'd be gutted if the love of your life spent all night with some hot-shot auror in training," James replied. Lily looked at James. "Don't you think that's a bit far?". James shrugged. "Well, she's the only girl who's never shagged him who he's continued to talk to. You do the math." Lily sighed again. "Go sort him out," she said, but before they knew it, Sirius and the girl had gone. "Balls."

"Have you guys seen Sirius? I feel really bad for ditching him," Came Persephone's voice behind them. James and Lily looked at each other and took a long deep breath before turning around. "Drinks," James said shortly, at the same as Lily said "Toilet.". Sephie frowned. "Umm, he was going to go to the toilet, then get you gus some drinks," Lily lied slowly, smiling her most persuasive smile. Sephie narrowed her eyes and Lily gulped. There was a noise behind them and a girl's laughter and Sephie's eyes widened as she saw the culprit. Sirius and a drunken sixteen year old had just returned from the bathroom. Sirius' hair in tatters. The girl looking very pleased with herself. "Arsehole."

Sirius caught sight of Sephie and seemed to ignore the look on her face. He sauntered over to them, leaving his victim to be bombarded with questions from her friends.

"Alright, lads?" he asked, grinning from ear to ear. He indulged himself in the attention he was finally getting from Sephie as she dragged him outside. He knew that would work.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She demanded in the corridor as Sirius slumped himself against a wall, a beer still in his hand. He waved his hand and grinned drunkenly. "I dunno, mate. Drunk? Pffttt..." he laughed and shook his head. Sephie glared at him, and he shut up immediatly. "Hey, you're not my mum, you can't yell at me! You left me again. You were too busy with Jackanory over there," he said, waving a hand at the door before taking another swig. She gave him a disgusted look. "Jesus christ, Sirius, am I in control of you or something? When I go do you just lose all self-control?". Sirius looked at the door and smiled.

"Sirius!"

"What? fucksake," he replied like an arrogant thirteen year old, turning his head to give her an annoyed look. She turned away. "This is stupid," she muttered. "Stupid."

Sirius looked down, feeling guilty for the first time all night. But he wasn't going to let her know that. "Well, next time don't invite me if you're going to ditch me again.". She narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh you have got to be kidding. I was talking to him for like fifteen minutes-"

"Yeah, and in those fifteen minutes I felt like a right knob!" He cried. "You didn't even try and talk to me. I just sat there like a melon.". He saw Sephie's mouth twitch as she tried not to smile as his choice of word.

"Well I'm sure you could've met someone to talk to without having to get in her pants," she replied smartly. Sirius shook his head at her. "You're fucking ridiculous, you know that?"

"Me? I'm not the sex addict-"

"I AM NOT A FUCKING SEX ADDICT!" He shouted, shocking Sephie as the words reverberated. "Shut up! You're such a little bitch sometimes!". Lily and James opened the door at these words. Sirius stalked off.


	11. 9Crimes

_Leave Me Out With The Waste This Is Not What I Do. It's The Wrong Kind Of Time To Be Thinking Of You. It's The Wrong Time For Somebody New. It's A Small Crime. But I've Got No Excuse. Is That Alright Yeah? You Throw My Gun Away When It's Loaded. Is That Alright? If You Don't Shoot Then How Am I Supposed To Hold It. Is That Alright With You? No.-" 9 Crimes", Damien Rice._

Potions lessons that week were painful. Sephie didn't say a word to Sirius, and he didn't do anything but stare at the back of her head. He didn't listen to a word Slughorn was saying when it came to potions, but as soon as he came over to Sephie and commented on the friendship blossoming between her and Jack he felt the words carve through him like a knife. He wanted to apologise to her more than anything for what he said, he agreed with Remus and James that what he'd shouted was a tad bit harsh, but he didn't want her to think that he was happy about what she did. He wanted her to be sorry for ditching him again, but not speaking to her was getting hard. And lonely. And was making her closer to Jack. He cornered Lily in the common room that evening as she left them to go to bed and asked her what was the deal between Sephie and Jack. Lily gave him a sad look as she said they were getting close. That they were spending alot of time together now she didn't come visiting them in disguise. That Miranda had said they often stayed up talking well into the night. Like her and Sirius used to do. But her and Sirius used to have fun, he thought to himself. They could go out as dogs and stay out and play around, swim, talk. They didn't talk about things like politics or transfiguration. They talked about the universe. About what they believed. What they wanted. Sirius lie in bed that night hoping Sephie would come wake him up so they could go out, but she didn't. He did it every night. She never did. She was too busy talking about facts and figures in the Ravenclaw common room. Sirius lie there imagining what he and Sephie could be doing. Swimming in the lake. Visiting the Centaurs. Anything. Why did he always put his foot it? All he had to do was sit there. Then he could have told her he was upset. But this was him. He mentally bashed his head against a wall. He couldn't tell anyone anything. Sephie said it herself-_I think that's the most complimentary thing you've ever said to a girl and meant it..._. Sirius was angry at himself in his sleep. He woke up knowing he had to apologise. He had Potions that afternoon. He scrawled the words down-_Meet me in the entrance hall in our free period. Please. X. _Sephie didn't look around, but she did look at the parchment. She didn't write anything back. She just folded it and put it in her pocket. He sighed. He went there anyway, not believing she was going to turn up. It was ten minutes into the free period and there was no-one around. He was going to go. He didn't want to look like an idiot. He'd already done it for her enough times. But there she was. It was the last lesson of the afternoon, so she'd already changed out of her robes and into a grey cardigan over a black dress and tights. And the little white brogues. He smiled sadly as he saw them. She didn't make any eye contact. All she said was "What?" as she crossed her arms. Sirius grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her outside. He was careful not to tug to hard. He didn't want to be too forceful. She followed him up the stairs, through a few corridors, through a maze of doors and walls until she saw a corridor she'd never seen before, and into a room she didn't know existed. It was empty aside from a few old chairs and broken tables, some moth eaten sofas that looked ancient yet magnificent.

"Wow," Sephie said. It was a giant store room. Sirius closed the door and sat cross legged in one of the sofas, waiting for Sephie to join him as she looked around at the furniture. She seemed to forget why they were meeting as she plonked herself down on the sofa. "Seph.." he began, and that brought her back. She scowled at him and picked at the sofa. He sighed. "Look, Persephone. I honestly don't know what got into me. I just...I went to the party with you. I expected us to hang out and have fun like the others were, but you ditched me to talk about stuff I don't even understand. I guess I was trying to piss you off. I guess I was trying to wind you up. I just..."

"Wanted some attention," Sephie finished, looking at him. He nodded and looked down in shame. "Sephie, I'm so sorry. I just...I don't know what else to do. Getting girls is all I can do. I don't know anything fantastic about some thing, that's Moony. And I don't play Quidditch, that's James. All I'm good at is getting girls."

"That's not true," Sephie said quietly, looking back down at the sofa. Sirius waited for her to go on, but it was silent for a few seconds before continued. "You're more than just some slut, you know you are. You tell me that all the time. And now you're telling me you're not when you know you are. I know you are.". Sirius closed his eyes and layed his head back. Sephie looked up at him. "Sirius, if you want to be taken seriously you have to really..stop...it. Stop doing it." Sirius nodded. "Look, I know you don't tell anyone anything. I Know you only let me know all this cool stuff about you. I'm guessing James doesn't know your theory on how the world began? And I'm sure Melissa doesn't know you want to be a Curse Breaker. But I do know. Not even McGonagall knows this about you." She leant over and put her arms around his chest and curled her legs under her. "You're a lot better than you think you are, Sirius.".

He ran lifted his hand from around her back, and keeping his eyes closed, ran his fingers through her hair. They sat in silence for a few minutes. Sirius opened his eyes, half thinking Sephie was asleep as her breathing had become deep and slow. She was awake.

"Do you mean that?" he asked. She looked up at him, lifted her head and looked into his grey eyes.

"Of course I do.".

And before she could say another word, her lips were covered by his.

She didn't protest. His fingers tangled in her hair. He couldn't believe he was kissing Persephone. It felt so familiar...he didn't know why. Maybe it was the feeling of knowing more about his kissee than just a name. Maybe that's why he felt so much more _connected_ with her. His fingers and toes tingled. He leant her back onto the sofa, her hands on his back, up his shirt. Gripping his chest. His other hand was holding her small face, his thumb firmly on her cheek. She held the back of his neck, held him to her. Neither wanted the other to stop this. Sirius could smell the coconut of her shampoo.The raspberry scent of her perfume. He could feel her hawbone. Her cheekbone. He could feel her curls crunching under his grip. He felt her hands across his ribs, her fingers gripping at the skin, the others massaging his neck. Her hand left his chest and pulled up his shirt, breaking the kiss for a second to slip it over his head. Their eyes opened and caught each other for a few seconds, drilling into each other before her hand pulled him back down. The other gripped his upper arm now, felt his muscles as he held himself above her. He unbuttoned her cardigan, moving his weight into the hand beneath her hair. Slipped it over her shoulder. Moved his lips to her neck. She breathed, stitlted deep breaths out as his own breath tickled her neck warmly. His fingers traced her collar bone, ran down her arm...She stiffened suddenly. Sirius stopped. "What is it?" he breathed into her ear. Her fingers left his skin. Pushed him slightly. "I can't..."

"Why?"

"Me and Jack...We're...together.."

Sirius felt his face drop. He let her push him off and mutter "I'm sorry," before she left him. Alone. Again.

Persephone was by the lake with Jack. They were cuddling. She'd told Sirius in a note in Potions not to tell anyone. She didn't talk to him after that. But that didn't mean she didn't think about him. If she was honest, the only reason she brought Jack here was because of Sirius. It was were he brought her on their walks out. She missed it. It wasn't the same with these arms around her. They weren't long enough. His hair wasn't shabby enough. His eyes too brown. His face not blessed with the model looks that attracted all the swoons of girls. When he kissed her he didn't crumple her curls in his grip or stroke her collar bone. His arms didn't fit right in her hands. His chest was too broad. His lips didn't want her enough. Not like Sirius' did. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine.


	12. Headlock

_Been Walking, You've Been Hiding. And You Look Half Dead Half The Time. Monitoring You Like Machines Do. You've Still Got It And I'm Keeping An Eye. Too Late To Start I've Got Your Heart In A Headlock. You Know You're Better Than This.-"Headlock" Imogen Heap._

Sirius hadn't spoken properly to Sephie in days. He was in a foul mood because of it. He couldn't understand the feeling erupting inside him as he watched her giggle with Jack. He couldn't take his eyes of them. His arm was around her shoulder. If he hurts her I'm going to kill him, was all he could think. He hated Jack more than he could ever imagine hating anyone. More than he hated Severus. More than he hated his family. He'd never felt jealousy before. Sirius had never thought Persephone would ever get a boyfriend. It wasn't like the two were in any way romatically linked, they were just friends. But he didn't like the way she was being taken away from him. They hardly had any classes together except Transfiguration and Potions, and luckily Jack wasn't in either of the classes. What did she see in him anyway? He was such..so...average. Sirius and her were inseperable until he came along. Lily and James were spending more time together, and Remus and Miranda were always studying together. What happened to Sephie helping Sirius get out of his rut? He was alone. He'd given up girls for Sephie, and she'd given him up for a boy. Why did she do this to him? He didn't eat anything all dinner. Lily asked him what was wrong. He shrugged but didn't take his eyes off the 'happy couple'. Lily followed his glare and saw Jack kiss Persephone's head. Sirius slammed his cutlery down. "I'm fed up with this," he breathed, storming out of the dining hall. Persephone didn't even notice.

"Hey," Persephone smiled dreamily as she sat down next to Sirius in Potions that afternoon. Sirius rolled his eyes. "Fucksake," he mumbled. She didn't notice. He looked away from her. They didn't speak hardly all lesson. Sirius felt like he'd had half his body taken from him. Persephone couldn't stop smiling. "I won't be able to come to the pub this week," she said. "Me and Jack are-"

Slam.

Sirius slammed his fists on the table, stood up and walked out of the classroom. Lily, James and Remus gave each other a sympathetic look. "I'll go talk to him," Lily said to Professor Slughorn, whose face was shocked at the outburst. Persephone looked the same. She was realising her act was becoming hard for her to keep up. hard to hurt Sirius like that. "No, I think I should-"

"No," Lily said, glaring at her. "You really shouldn't."

Persephone sighed and looked down at her book.

"Sirius," Lily called as she left the classroom after the back of her friend. He stopped and leant against the wall. Lily caught him up. "Come on," she rubbed his shoulder. They all knew what he was realising but couldn't make it any easier on him. "Let's go to the common room and sit down." Sirius nodded and they walked in silence. Lily spoke the password and Sirius followed her silently into the common room, taking a seat next to the fire and curling up. Lily sat next to him, curled her legs like his and faced him. "You know, none of us talk to her much either, not anymore," She said, trying to comfort him. Sirius rubbed his face. "I can't believe she's ditched us. She was the only person I ever really spoke to. I don't have anyone to talk to anymore. This whole thing is bollocks. She doesn't even care. She doesn't give a shit about me anymore."

Lily nodded sympathetically. The portrait hole opened. Lily looked up. It was James. "Sirius? Persephone wants to know if she can talk to you. Uhh, alone. In here."

Sirius looked to Lily. She didn't say anything. "No," Sirius said. "No."

"Okay, mate," his best friend replied, before disappearing out of the portrait hole. He'd made up his mind.

---

"I thought you didn't do this anymore," Melissa giggled as the Sirius dragged her down the dark corridor. Sirius grinned his charming grin, the one he'd left behind when Sephie arrived on the scene. "Only for you," he said, raising his eyebrows. His hair was a mess and his clothes were tattered, but he looked a damn sight neater than she did. He kissed her on the cheek as she left to go to her own common room, before turning and wiping the lies off his face. "Slut," he breathed. He felt rubbish. He felt like an absolute arsehole. But he didn't care. He didn't notice the mahogany cat beside the portrait hole as he climbed in. The fire whiskey he'd downed earlier to give him a bit more courage was still in his veins, but he wasn't drunk enough to forget why he was hurting. He spoke the password. The cat followed. Nobody was in the common room. It was past midnight. He slumped down in one of the chairs and held his head in his hands. He remembered closing his eyes when Melissa was with him. He remembered blocking out her voice. He just thought of Sephie, and with that came Jack, and with that came determination. But now, he felt nothing. He was back in his depression. He got no reward from shagging a girl in a broom cupboard anymore. He saw the bottle from earlier on the table and took another swig.

"You're a mess," came a familiar voice from behind him. He jumped up in shock, dropped the bottle, which rolled under the chair. Persephone was looking at him angrily. She looked amazing. Sirius felt a million feelings surge through him.

"Fuck you," was all he could say to sum them up. Persephone shook her head. "What the hell has got in to you lately?". Sirius glared at her. Took in her words. "ME?" He cried, laughing at her. "Me? What's got into ME?". Persephone didn't falter. "What's got into me is that you, Persephone Scamander, YOU ditched me for some fucking arsehole. And you don't fucking talk to me anymore."

"So you just thought you'd go back to shagging little girls did you?" She asked angrily, as if she was his mother.

"Why, jealous?" Sirius grinned. Persephone sighed. "For fuck's sake Sirius I thought you'd grown up."

"And i thought you CARED," he yelled. "But obviously Jack Elwood-"

"LEAVE JACK OUT OF THIS!" Persephone yelled back, pointing a finger at her old best friend.

"Why," Sirius asked. "Why? Does it hurt having me say bad stuff about your boyfriend? Huh? GUESS WHAT? I THINK HE'S AN ABSOLUTE ARSEHOLE-"

"WHAT HAS HE EVER DONE TO YOU?" Persephone asked, staring at Sirius. Sirius grinned, knowing she didn't think he'd have a come back. He raised an eyebrow. "He took away my best friend. And now she only talks to me when I shag other girls."

Persephone didn't reply. Sirius sat down, his grin fading. "And you're yelling at me. The only time you talk to me properly is to yell. You know how many times I've wanted to yell at you? You know how hard it is not to be able to come and hug you? To just go out with you whenever I'm lonely? Do you even realise? Are you too fucking wound up in your own perfect little relationship to realise?"

Persephone sat down opposite him. She looked at her hands, clasped in her lap. Sirius looked at her. He was so angry. He looked at her hair, long, mahogany, falling over her face. She was wearing the Led Zeppelin t-shirt he'd bought her for the previous Christmas and jeans. "I'm sorry..."

Sirius scoffed. "Yeah, well, we used to be best friends. Now you've got your boyfriend and I'm going to have to find someone else."

Persephone didnt look up. Sirius stared at her. She started to shake. She stood up and glared at him angrily. "We'll I think she's waiting in a broom cupboard." And with that, she left.

Sirius slept in the common room that night. Well, he only got about an hours sleep. He was up half the night thinking. Thinking of ways to get Sephie back. He hadn't been that close to her emotionally in a long while. It mixed up his insides. He really, really wanted her to stay and yell at him forever. He didn't want her to leave. He was hoping she'd come back as a panda and want a hug. She never came back. His dreams were filled with her and Jack by the lake, in a broom cupboard, doing the things he and Melissa had done. He felt sick. He didn't eat breakfast. Lily and James tried to cheer him up. But they knew nothing would work. His usually mischevious grey eyes were circled black, bags hanging from them from lack of sleep. They had no feeling in them except jealousy. They watched as Jack and Persephone laughed together. Words could not describe the hatred Sirius felt. He hated Sephie but wanted her to yell. He'd deliberatly let her catch him with six girls, but she didn't yell, just sighed and walked off. They didn't sit together in class anymore. Girls started approaching Sirius again, but everytime he had to be drunk to go through with it. He had to imagine Sephie. One girl smelt slightly like her. That made it easier. In Potions that week they made Amortentia. Sirius dashed out of the room to throw up as she started to smell coconut, olive soap and the outdoors. Persephone held her face in her hands as the smell of her own potion drifted over her. A musky, masculine smell, Sirius' cologne and the smell of the outdoors.

----

Sephie returned to the common room a mix of angry and upset. She gritted her teeth, keeping her anger to the surface-Jack would wonder why there was a panda in his girlfriend's bed. He was still up as she entered, sat by the fire with his mates playing cards. "Hey? Where you been?" he asked, and she forced a weak smile as he pulled her into the space beside him on the sofa. "Oh, you know," she shrugged, trying to think of an excuse for her to be returning alone just past curfew. "Library. With Lily."

He smiled a little, furrowing his brows in confusion, but didn't press the matter. Sephie curled up and looked at her hands in her lap.

"Persephone," one of Jack's friends, Ritchie Jones, addressed her as a pack of playing cards shuffled themselves in his hands. She looked up at him, distracted, raising her eyebrows but not caring for his question.

"Is Miranda, like, really...a prude?"

Sephie scowled. She didn't like Jack's friends very much. They were all laddish, but not in the funny way Sirius and James were. They were posh, the kind of boys who would attend a Muggle Private school and discuss which rich heiress they'd seduced over a glass of cider at the polo club. And this particular one was desperate to get into Miranda's pants and brag.

"She's with Remus," she answered firmly. Ritchie shrugged and laughed to his friends. "Well, shouldn't be too hard to pry her away, then," he said, and the others laughed with him. Jack grinned and draped an arm around Sephie. "You see boys, I don't have this problem," he said, looking at Sephie. "She's so inconspicuous that most of the lads don't know she exists."

Sephie felt hurt, wondering how someone could think saying that was charming, but feined a smile.

"Apart from Black," Ritchie raised his eyebrow at Jack, who shrugged. "Black knows every girl at Hogwarts- well, he knows their backs better than their faces, if you get me.." he smirked. The boys laughed, comending him on the joke as Sephie felt pangs of hurt hit her. She thought of Sirius, depressed and alone as the others left for bed. Jack stood and turned to Sephie, his face serious and keeping her in her seat. He narrowed his eyes at her. "You went to see him, didn't you?"

She gulped, blinked, and laughed nervously, hoping he read it as dismissive. "What, Sirius? I was in the library," she lied, trying her best to look innocent. He glared at her for a second, and she took a breath and stared into his face sincerely. "I promise, Jack. You know we don't talk anymore."

Jack took a deep breath and his face relaxed. He held out a hand for her to take and pulled her up. "I know. I just...I know what he's like," he said, smiling at her. She smiled back, holding back the urge to tell him he was wrong, that he had no idea what Sirius was like, that he hadn't seen the Sirius she had fifteen minutes earlier. Jack pushed some hair out of her face, but it wasn't as gentle as how Sirius did it.

"Stay with me tonight, yeah?" he asked, grinning. Sephie smiled weakly again and nodded. He lead her up to his room and went to cast silencing charms around his bed. Sephie stopped him, not being able to stomach it after the night she'd had.

"No," she said, and he turned to her, his face confused. She smiled. "Let's just...cuddle. I'm tired. I..." she searched for some persuasive words. "I'm stressed out with school, you know? Let's relax."

He nodded, looking slightly let down but he didn't press it, again, and she was thankful at least for that. They climbed into his bed, and his arms wrapped around her from behind as she tried to remember what Sirius smelt like.

IIIII

Sirius tried his best to ignore Sephie the next day, but they had Transfiguration and she sat infront of him. Lily and James had been talking quietly beforehand, and Sirius thought that if anything, at least his misery was giving his best friend the girl of his dreams. They were clearly comparing notes on the two, their eyes flickering from Sephie to him as they waited for the door to open. Sephie was just on time, and Sirius watched her walk past him out of the corner of his eye. She looked at him as she passed. They spent the lesson taking notes for an essay, notes Sirius knew Sephie didn't really need as she could remember anything to do with transfiguration like a memo recorder. He tried to write but his notes became jumbled, he made mistakes, wrote things in the wrong places, scribbled things out. He tried not to watch her, but couldn't help it. He wondered if Jack noticed that little curl behind her ear that was tighter than the rest, it was a real curl, not the loose waves and tousles her hair usually was. A pang of hurt hit him as he imagined Jack's hand on her neck. He never touched her neck usually, but he didn't want anyone else too, either. Especially not that..what did Remus call him? Posh Tosser. Sirius grinned to himself as class was dismissed. James didn't bother waiting for Lily, instead lead Sirius straight out of the room.

Persephone was sitting with Jack in the common room that night, and he was talking about something boring. Something to do with some theory. She'd heard this from Remus, and Miranda. She didn't need to hear it from Jack, too. She looked out the window at the lake, wondering if she'd see a dog, a stag, a rat and a werewolf. But it wasn't full moon.

"What you looking at?" Jack asked from beside her. She turned to him and smiled before looking back. "Oh, the lake. Looks pretty."

Jack laughed. "It might look pretty, but do you know how many bacteria and amoeba live in there? Just one swim, and you could catch all sorts of things."

Sephie sighed. Jack really knew how to marvel at nature...

"Hey, it's late," he said gently, rubbing her shoulder and pushing her hair off it. It didn't feel natural to her, and she turned to him again. He raised his eyebrows. "You wanna, head up? Everyone will be asleep."

Sephie nodded, racking her brains for an excuse not to do it yet, and followed his upstairs. He cast silencing spells as they lie there, and Sephie couldn't think how to turn him down without him getting suspicious. He kiss her neck, ran his hands over her stomach. "Jack," she breathed, but not lovingly. He smiled. "Jack," she stopped his hand. He scowled. "What's wrong?"

She imagined Sirius's face that day in transfiguration. How it used to look, when they would lie down by the lake all night. Or how he climbed up her in fifth year and got her sent out. Or how he smelt- she remembered. Of cedar and musk, and amber. Of charisma, not money. Not like Jack. Sirius was effortless. Jack tried so hard. Sirius would never care what was in the lake, he'd just want to mess around in it.

"I can't," she mumbled, closing her eyes. Jack sat up. "What's wrong?"

"I..I..nothing, I just...I can't." She replied, suddenly not attracted to Jack in the slightest. Jack narrowed his eyes at her as she opened her own. "This is about Sirius, isnt it?" he demanded, his voice raising. Sephie was glad he'd cast silencing charms for this at least. "You went and saw him last night, didn't you? What did he say to you? Did you see him today?"

Sephie pushed her hair out of her face and stuttered. "Jack..he's...he's my best friend. I can't just stop seeing him-"

"No he's not," he said firmly, angrily. "Miranda and Regina are your friends. The 'Marauders' or whatever they think they are, they're not your friends. They only hang around with you cos of Miranda and Lily anyway."

Sephie stared at him in amazment. "What? How can you say that?"

Jack laughed. Sephie got out of the bed and turned to face him, her blood boiling. "You don't know the first thing about Sirius." Jack rolled his eyes. "Oh, really? I know last year he tried to sleep with Holly and Louise in the same day-"

"No he didn't!" she yelled. "Holly made that up because Sirius wouldn't shag her! Sirius was with me all night!"

"Oh was he?" Jack raised an eyebrow angrily. Sephie rolled her eyes. "Oh Jack, grow up! Sirius is a person, you know, not a shag machine."

"Well, he didn't seem to defend himself-"

"I told him to ignore it!" she cried, waving her arms in the air. "Not everyone cares about stupid gossip, you know!". Jack scowled. "So you don't want to sleep with me because of Sirius?"

Sephie stopped and looked down quietly. Jack scoffed. "I don't believe this. What does this mean then, eh?" Sephie didn't say anything. Jack shook his head. "What? Don't you want to be with me anymore?"

Sephie picked up her cardigan and put her shoes on. "I can't, Jack."

And she left. "We're over?!" Jack cried after her, and she wasn't sure if it was a question or a statement, but she knew it was true. And she didn't care. She didn't return to her dorm, but walked out of the tower, across the castle and transformed.

Sirius creeped down into the common room that night. James' snoring was keeping him awake. Although, his dreams would only be nightmares so he was quite thankful. He watched the flames in the fire dance, losing himself. He thought of the last summer. He thought of Persephone's house. Of Cloud. Of her pushing him in the pool. Of her brown back, and her lifiting up her top. He remembered kissing her. He remembered it a week ago and it was the center of all his nightmares. He remembered his hand on her back and her hands on his chest. He remembered her lips. His nose next to hers. The way she cooed at him. A tear fell down his cheek. He wanted her back. He wanted her house, her parties, her hugs, he wanted to go out at night and talk about the world. He closed his eyes. "Please come back...". He woke to a hand stroking his cheek. He smelt coconut.

"Sirius?"

He opened his eyes. He saw Botticelli eyes. He didn't move. He stared at the eyes. Mahogany hair fell next to them around a tanned face with a sprinkling of freckles. "Persephone?" he whispered. She climbed into the chair with him. He didn't argue. He didn't say anything. It was still dark outside. She curled up, her arms around him. He snuggled his face into her chest. "I broke up with Jack..." she whispered. Sirius closed his eyes and fell back asleep. He hoped this dream would last forever.

He woke up again. He was in the common room. And he smelt coconut. Persephone was next to him. His heart skipped a beat. He didn't move. Persephone stirred beside him. He lifted his head to look at her, her eyes opening slowly. She was smiling at him. They gazed at each other for a few moments. "Did you really..." Sirius asked hopefully. She nodded. His heart rose, butterflies floating around his stomach. "Yeah. You..." She contemplated telling him. Decided against it. "You need me more than he does.". Sirius had never felt so...relieved. He grabbed hold of Sephie with one arm and pulled her into the biggest embrace they'd ever shared. "I've missed you so much," she said, her mind -floating back to the Amortentia that helped her make her decision.


	13. New American Classic

_See, The Months They Don't Matter, It's The Days I Can't Take. When Hours Move To Minutes And I'm Seconds Away. Just Ask The Question, Come Untie The Knot. Say You Won't Care. Retrace The Steps, As If We Forgot. Say You Won't Care. Try To Avoid It, But There's Not A Doubt And That's One Thing I Can Do Nothing About.-"New American Classic", Taking Back Sunday_

December the third rolled around, and nobody seemed to take any notice, the day was bright and cold, and most people were huddled together on their way to an early breakfast.

"Shh, Padfoot, you're going to ruin it," Remus laughed as the dog ran ahead of the others happily in the Ravenclaw common room. Miranda took a few parcels from the loaded up James and followed the impatient Sirius, who was now tugging at their robes.

"Alright, bloody hell," James yawned at the whining dog. Remus caught the contagious yawn, before passing it on to Miranda, who smiled. "You guys, she's going to go nuts. No-one ever knows it's her birthday. She's going to be so suprised," she said, kissing Remus on the cheek. Sirius howled angrily, groaning and bounding up the staircase to the girls' dormitory, panting on the top step as Miranda opened the door. He raced to her bed and jumped on her, licking her face eratically and causing her to splutter awake as everyone cried "Happy Birthday!"

"Oh my god," she moaned, but smiled, turning over and ruffling Sirius's head. "Get off my, you mangy old thing," she laughed, and Sirius stepped back and sat obediently, panting once again.

"I can't believe you did this," she said, looking around at the banners Miranda and Regina had erected that morning around the room, the parcels James was carrying and the elaborate chocolate cake perched in Remus's grasp. Miranda walked over and placed herself beside Sirius as Regina appeared out of the toilet. "Oooh, you came a second too soon!" she cried, before hopping happily over to the group. "Wow, the elves really went to town on the cake...". Persephone scowled. "The elves made the cake?!"

James nodded. "Oh, yeah, they love you down there." He placed the presents awkwardly on the foot of Persephone's bed as she sat up, Sirius taking well-thought-out steps between the folds of sheets to sit beside them, nudging one in her direction with his nose.

"Yeah, that's from Pads," James explained, and Sirius nodded his dog head and panted. "And you can stop being a dog now, she's awake."

Sirius was scowling from the foot of Persephone's bed as a human within a few seconds, before turning to his friend and grinning. "Thought you could do with some cheering up, after that dickhead was a...well, a dickhead." Sephie grinned back at him. "Thanks," she said genuinely.

"This was his idea," Remus chipped in, making sure he put in a good word for his friend. "He should get all the credit."

Sephie shook her head at him. "This is so nice," she smiled, happier than she'd been in a long while. Sirius blushed slightly, but looked down the presents to hide it. "Open one, then," he said quietly. She laughed as he handed her a present, Remus setting the cake down on the bedside cabinet and joining everyone on her bed. She ran her hand through her unruly hair, grinning stupidly as she took the gift. "That's from Remus and James," Sirius said, and Sephie turned to them and pouted. "You didn't have to-"

Remus cut her off early by waving her hand. "It's nothing," he said, James yawning once again causing his words to be gibberish. She gingerly opened the wrapping, and took out a set of new quills, all crafted from mahogany feathers, and writing parchment with her initials at the top under a mahogany owl.

"These are beautiful," she said, running a finger over the feathers. "Thankyou.". Sirius sighed impatiently. "Hurry upppp..." he whined. "I want to get to the good stuff..."

Sephie laughed, and rushed through the other parcels, leaving Sirius's until last. As well as the writing set, she'd gained a book entitled "Coming of Age- a Witch's Guide to Adulthood" from Lily and Alice, a yearly subscription to _Vogue Wizarding_ from Regina and Miranda, several boxes of chocolate and bottles of firewhisky and some other liquors, all very Greek from her cousins, and a cookery book from her Grandmother. Her parents were sending her plenty of money to go shopping with, and she only had Sirius's present left to open. It was a long cuboid box, and she smiled at him as she opened it. Inside were at least fifteen CD's, all made by wand, all with the spine reading her name, and what the cd contained-such as _Sephie's Sad Songs, _or _Sephie's Sleepy Songs ..._. Sephie took out one of them and eyed it gleefully; Miranda had brought an enchanted muggle CD player into the dorm last year, and several girls were asking to borrow it as electrical devices didn't usually work in Hogwarts. They'd only had a few disks to listen to, and all had become very boring and well-known.

"You made these?" Sephie asked in awe, looking at the back of the case at the tracklisting. Sirius nodded. "Yeah, I had to research the charm to do it, Lily helped actually," he said modestly. Sephie looked up from the songs on the _Boys Are Rubbish _disk-which included several songs from someone called Kate Nash-to his face. "Thankyou," she said, before pulling him into a hug. "These are amazing."

"Lily helped me make that one," he laughed, pointing to the CD in her hand as she pulled back and looked at it again. "Figured you needed one."

She laughed, before Regina reminded them a bit too cheerfully that they had to be in lessons within half an hour.

"Did we miss breakfast?" Sephie asked as she stretched and put the CD's back carefully. Sirius laughed. "We're having cake for breakfast, Seph," he said, whipping his wand out and, with a flick, the cake cut itself into ten pieces. "Save some for Lily," James said, and Sirius rolled his eyes. "I know, i know..."

IIIII

Sephie's day did not go by as mediocre and undramatic as her usual birthdays, but of course, she now had Sirius Black. Who had decided that everyone should know it was Persephone Scamander's birthday, with a little help from James, Remus and Peter.

First lesson had passed, with several owls flying in and sprinkling exploding happy birthday confetti over the classroom. Second lesson involved what looked like howlers flying onto her desk, only to burst into sparkles and sing "Happy Birthday" extremely loudly, and with the lyrics re-written to be rather rude and definitly not what Proffessor Binns wanted in his classroom. And now Sephie was being sheparded to third lesson, Transfiguration, with Sirius, James and Remus singing very loudly and conjuring up a large, magical neon sign to hover above her head reading "Birthday Girl" with a large downward pointing arrow.

"Oh my god," she blushed furiously as the entire crowded corridor turned to see the Marauder's latest prank, several people jumping on the bandwagon by wishing her a good day and patting her on the back. "This is so embarrasing..."

"You'd better not do this to me," Lily laughed as they arrived into the classroom. James winked at her and grinned. "Now there's an idea..."

Sephie noticed Lily didn't scowl, just shook her head and looked away, trying to hide a smile.

"This is all very lovely, boys, but please turn that irritating thing off," McGonagoll said as she looked up to her arriving students, Sephie trying to hide her face in her arm and silently thanking the professor as the sign disappeared and the boys ceased their singing to be seated. Sirius had placed himself directly behind Persephone, and leant forward to whisper to her. "You know you're in our common room tonight, right?" he said, grinning. Sephie turned in her seat, her head leaning on her hand to hide her face from the staring classmates. She smiled at him, before turning back to the front. He laughed and leant back into his chair as McGonagoll started the lecture. He turned his head to face James, who was smirking and nodding his head. Sirius nodded back. _Plan Engaged..._

With several well rehearsed and subtle flicks of their wands, seventeen cupcakes flew through the open window, landing on Persephone's table. McGonagoll did a double take at the desk infront of her, and stopped her lecture to watch in amazement as the cupcakes sprouted arms and legs and blinked open two eyes. Persephone laughed, hiding her head in her hands once again and leaning back in her chair, sinking down it slightly. "Oh not again..."

The cupcakes jumped up, and walked in single file around the desk, starting up a song she guessed Sirius and James had written.

"Persephone Scamander, your birthday is today.

Hide all you want to, it will not go away-"

They lined up across the desk and started a well chorerographed dance routine, as Lily turned to James and hissed. "Did you do this? It's amazing..."

The cupcakes continued.

"The Marauder's, until midnight, with send you several treats.

We are just one, and one you now can eat!"

They jumped into the air, their squeaky voices ceasing as with a large bang each of them turned back into a normal cupcake and landed on her desk.

The room was silent.

Sephie turned to Sirius and frowned.

"Happy Birthday," he grinned, seeing her face keeping up it's recent scarlet hue.

"Boys," McGonagoll said, picking up one of the cupcakes and examining it. Sirius turned to James, and both of them to Remus. _Oh it was only a joke..._Sirius thought.

"That was extremely impressive," she concluded, placing the cake back on the table and turning to them. "Twenty points to Gryffindor, for immaculate transfiguration and charms. And, those silent spells were impeccable."

Lily turned round to James and beamed.

As the class left for lunch, Sephie wondered what they were going to do now that they had a free period, and no one to show off infront of. She didn't doubt something would come her way, especially as the lunch consisted of the house elves providing the entire Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables with party food.

"You look on edge," Sirius laughed as he came to sit at her table, taking a party ring and spinning it on his finger before eating it.

"I'm expecting explosions left right and center," Sephie replied. Sirius laughed. "Well, good."

Free period was not as fun as either Sephie or Sirius had planned.

"Persephone!" Jack came round the corner as The Marauders and the Ravenclaws made their way to their respective lessons. He cast an eye at every member of her party, who left one by one, seeing he wanted to talk to her alone. Sirius left last, turning back to see Sephie looking at him and not at Jack.

"I hope she's okay," Miranda said worriedly to Remus across the library desk. Remus looked up and gave her a sympathetic look, placing his hand on hers tenderly. "She'll be okay. She's not stupid."

James, Lily and Regina were quiet. Peter was asleep again. Sirius looked at his book but couldn't concentrate. He kept glancing at the clock, and seeing how long they'd been gone. He was worried. About more than one thing.

Sirius debated the options. One, he was just wishing her a Happy Birthday, and didn't want to do it with everyone around watching him. Sirius hoped this was the case. Two, he was apologising for his behaviour and asking them to be friends. As mush as Sirius didn't want Jack near Sephie, he wouldn't mind this over the following two options. Three, he was asking for Sephie back, and she was saying yes. Or she was saying no, and he was angry. Or Four, he was trying it on with her and she was out there, alone, trying to get Jack off her.

"I'm going to find her," Sirius said, slamming his hands on the table, leaving his belongings and walking out. No one protested. James gave him a weak smile of encouragement.

He walked down the corridor to where they had been exactly fifteen minutes and twenty-three seconds earlier, and they weren't there. Sirius sighed, dread in his chest. He looked into the classrooms, seeing lessons in sessions, and a couple of empty ones. He walked down the corridor, checking behind him, and made his way towards the Ravenclaw common room. Just as he was starting to panic, wondering if Sephie really had got back together with him, and if they'd gone back to the common room, forgetting Sirius, she rounded the corner ahead of him with a card in her hand. She looked fine.

"Sirius," she smiled. "I was wondering where you lot had gone."

Sirius smiled back at her, she didn't look particularly happy, which suggested she hadn't decided to take back the Elwood. She held the card up to Sirius and shrugged. "Birthday card. Didn't think he'd even remember, to be honest." she said. She frowned at Sirius, sensing he was tense about something. "Are you okay?"

Sirius nodded. "Yeah, I just got worried.". Sephie smiled at him. "I'm okay. Come on, I've still got some suprises waiting, yes?" she raised her eyebrows, and Sirius grinned before leading her to the library.

IIII

The Marauder's last two suprises involved a giant explosion, of confetti and stars and a fanfare as Sephie appeared at the door to her classroom, and the entire portrait collection in the main stairwell singing to her as she made her way, with the others, to the dining hall, where Dumbledore congratulated her on the most public birthday in the History of Hogwarts. The evening died down a little, Sephie returning with Sirius to the common room for the last of her cake and to drink some butterbeer. By eight, James and Lily were having a heated debate in the middle of the room, (although Sirius believed this was a step forward for James, as Lily did seem impressed in his ability to hold an argument), Remus and Miranda were becoming thoroughly sickly, and pitching in comments to the discussion. Regina was discussing customs with a foreign student from Italy, and although he was two years younger than her, she was clearly becoming more and more turned on as he took her through the language. Peter had fallen asleep in one of the chairs, drooling slightly, and Sirius and Persephone were watching the debate become more and more entertaining as James continued to floor Lily. Persephone yawned as Lily's mouth tried to find a comeback.

"Tired?" Sirius turned to her as her eyes closed momentarily before she snapped herself awake. She grinned dopily and nodded. "Yeah, big day."

Sirius smiled and stood, holding a hand out to her which she took and followed him upstairs, unnoticed by the others. Sirius closed the door to the empty dorm as she sat on his bed and ran a hand through her hair, yawning again as he came over to her. She lie back on his bed and closed his eyes as he followed suit.

"Good day?" he asked. She turned her head and opened her eyes to look at him and smiled. "Yeah, thanks."

He smiled back as she looked down. He knew she was thinking about Jack. "Don't worry about him," he said. She flicked her eyes back up to catch his.

"Did he make it a bit rubbish?" he asked. She laughed. "For a bit. But all the good stuff outweighed the bad stuff."

He grinned, and looked into her for a few seconds. "I'm so glad I've got you. Boys are rubbish otherwise."

Sirius laughed and looked away. "Well, I'm sure alot of girls say I'm rubbish, to be honest."

Sephie gave him a sympathetic look. "You're not rubbish, Sirius."

He sighed. She lifted a hand slowly, placed it on his cheek and turned his face to hers. "You're the best person in the world."

Sirius felt a tingle in his face, which moved to his chest and stomach when he looked into her eyes. He could see she was being honest, she always was, and it made him feel strange. Someone wasn't just saying he was fit, which meant nothing to him anymore. It was a dumb sentance, but it made him feel like he owed everything to Persephone.

"I think you are," he replied quietly. She laughed slightly, before the two of them fell quiet, her hand still on his cheek. She twisted her lips and bit them slightly. Sirius didn't want her to lift her hand, it was warm on his cheek and made him feel connected to her in some way, made him feel like he wasn't alone. It was awkward, yet comfortable, in a way that, if anyone was to walk in right now, they would'nt know what to do with themselves, but they didn't want to stop. Not that they were doing anything. Just lying down.

"This has been the best birthday. Ever," Sephie said. Sirius smiled. "Anytime."

"People don't know how great you are," she said. "People like Jack."

Sirius was the one to give her a sympathy look now. "What did he say, exactly?"

"About you?" Sephie asked. He didn't shake his head, he didnt want her hand to move. "No, to you. Today."

Sephie sighed and looked down. She removed her hand and Sirius felt the cold air hit his cheek. He felt naked in some way. "He just...He's just such an arsehole. He gave me a card, and I was polite and said thankyou and everything. Then it was like he expected to get me back by that."

Sirius didn't say anything, just let her talk.

"I didn't know how to say he blew it. He was saying he'd let me talk to you, but I don't...I don't even miss him or anything anymore. He was such a rubbish boyfriend. As soon as we got together, he was so clingy. And he got mad if I'd want to see my friends...that's why he told me I 'wasn't allowed' to talk to you. And he'd ask Miranda and Regina loads of questions about me, like if I spoke to any boys. He was a bit scary, to be honest. He'd always get all smoochy whenever you were in the room. He found the letter you wrote to me in Transfiguration, asking to meet me. He went crazy. I couldn't handle it anymore. He doesn't understand that. I'll always pick my friends over boys. And he should realise that and move on. I don't find him attractive anymore, either."

She glanced up at Sirius, up to his eyes. He didn't talk. She continued, quieter. "He just thinks he can get me into bed by saying I can talk to you, but I know he'd go nuts if we spoke to each other."

Sirius blinked. "Seph?" he asked, not knowing whether he wanted to know the answer to what he was about to ask. "Did you..."

Sephie looked at him and smiled. "No," she said. She looked into his eyes as she saw him relax, pondering whether to tell him why. She moved slightly closer to him and smelt him. He put his arms around her and stroked her hair as she yawned. She nuzzled into him comfortably. This was the closest they'd been in a while, but Sirius had missed her so much he wanted to hold her. He was amazed she'd picked him over Jack, and not because she wanted to shag him. She'd picked him purely because she believed he was more worth her time than Jack, more than the lad who'd got the early apprenticeship with the Auror department.

"You're better than him anyway," she said into his chest as if reading his thoughts. "He'd never just hug me like this."

And in that moment, both Sirius and Sephie were slightly surprised that Jack Elwood was more of a perv than Sirius Black.


	14. I Still Remember

_I Still Remember How You Looked That Afternoon. There Was Only You. You Said "It's Just Like A Full Moon." Blood Beats Faster In Our Veins, We Left Our Trousers By The Canal. And Our Fingers, They Almost Touched. You Should Have Asked Me For It. I Would Have Been Brave. How Could I Say No? And Our Love Could Have Soared Over Playgrounds And Rooftops. Every Park Bench Screams Your Name, I Kept Your Tie. I've Gone Wherever You Wanted...I Could Feel Your Heartbeat Across The Grass, We Should Have Run. I Would Go With You Anywhere, I Should Have Kissed You By The Water. I Would Let You If You Asked Me, I Still Remember.-"I Still Remember", Bloc Party_

Christmas for Sirius was, once again, spent in the company of the Potters. It was a bright, cold December morning when James and Sirius were making some progress on a DADA project. They hadn't planned on doing it, but it was the only excuse they had to get out of helping Mrs. Potter set up the final decorations for the New Year's Eve Party the following day, and James has pointed out that it would impress Lily if he managed to actually do some work. But Sirius' mind was wandering as James gabbled on about something Lily had told him...something about Vampires..

"They prefer young innocent blood," Sirius said, gazing out of the window. James frowned and looked up at him. "How did you know that?". Sirius looked back at him and shrugged. James laughed. "Sounds like you, you sure you aren't one?". Sirius pulled a sarcastic smile before returning his gaze to the window. Surely Sephie would visit him today...

"Padfoot, am I going to do all the work while you wait on an owl?" James asked impatiently, his parchment covered in words (many scribbled out, but words none the less), compared to Sirius's almost blank one. Sirius sighed and turned back to his friend. "Sorry," he mumbled, before taking up his quill and making a start on his essay. James scowled, Sirius still clearly pre-occupied as his eyes flickered.

"What is going on with you two, anyway?" James asked as Sirius scribbled. Sirius shrugged again. "Nothing," he said. "Just mates.". James laughed. "Sirius, you two are clearly not just mates."

Sirius looked up at James warningly before finishing off his sentance. James shook his head. "The only reason everyone goes on about it is because it's obvious," he said. "Just fucking do something about it-"

"I don't like her like that," Sirius said, not moving his eyes from his paper, not even to the window. James sighed. "You keep telling yourself that, mate."

_I do..._

"She doesn't like me like that," Sirius replied, almost hurt. James shook his head again. "Sure she doesn't..."he said sarcastically. Sirius put down his quill and looked up at James. "Look, surely if she did she would've done something by now?" He tried to prove his point, but James nodded and grinned. "What, like breaking up with her boyfriend for you?"

Sirius sighed and shook his head. James took his quill back up again. "You'll never know unless you try, why do you think I keep asking Lily?"

Sirius pretended to ignore him.

"So, is Lily coming to the party?" Mrs. Potter asked as she placed the tray of assorted sandwiches on the kitchen table. James smiled as he took some. "I hope so.".

Mrs. Potter turned to her adopted son and smiled. "And, what about Persephone?". James widened his eyes at his friend. Sirius shook his head, before turning to Mrs. Potter. "Yeah, I should think so. She'll come with Lily..."

"Not for you then," James asked, raising his eyebrows. Sirius scowled.

"How is Persephone?" the woman asked, testing the water to get the gossip. Sirius ruffled his hair. "Um, she's great..."

"They're just _friends_, Mum," James said, nodding. Mrs. P did the classic "oh, i see.." face before winking at Sirius.

II

James had decided to stay in that night under the pretence of finishing off the essay so he could show Lily the next day. Sirius frowned at James as Sephie left the window, but didn't argue. They made their way almost silently across the City to the canal, before changing back into humans. Sephie was wearing a new coat-a white one, probably not good for lying on the grass. She wasn't wearing a hat, but a burgundy headband, and black tights and burgundy shoes. She was wearing black gloves on her tiny hands. Sirius pulled his coat over himself, the night freezing cold, but Sephie smiled at him and cast a heating charm. Sirius smiled back silently, envious of her age. "Jealous?" Sephie asked, waving her wand about. Sirius shook his head. "Only two months for me," he said, grinning. He lie back beside Sephie, looking at the stars. The moon was enormous, slightly orange, but not full. It cast an eerie glow upon the canal, across the water and off the metal of the bridges.

"It's still cold," Sephie shivered, and Sirius moved closer. His fingers were only inches from her own, and he felt them pull at frosted grass. Her head moved, lifted and rested on his chest. It was silent, apart from the crunching of frost. Sirius was thinking about what James had said. His heart was beating faster, despite him telling himself that he didn't fancy Persephone. Of course he didn't, she was his mate. He'd gone past that stage. A long, long time ago. He remembered Peter saying boys and girls could never just be good friends, but of course they could, couldn't they? And what did Peter know, anyway? Sirius felt his fingers running through her hair, an arm snaking around her and pulling her closer.

But what about when he kissed her in the store room? Why _did_ he kiss her? The heat of the moment? _Of course..._ he told himself. It was just because they were sitting in a quiet room, she was lying on his chest and he'd missed her. And she'd told him nice stuff. And she was looking at him.

She was lying on his chest now, in silence. And he had missed her the past couple of days.

He looked down to her nervously. She was looking at him again, her eyes looking up at him. He wanted to look away but couldn't. Her pupils were big in the dark. He could see her breath in the cold air, her mouth slightly open. He wanted to lean in to her again..._Oh dear..._She smiled. "Sorry," she said, looking away. Sirius let out a heavy breath, kept watching her. Closed his eyes. Felt her breathing through his coat. Wanted to fall asleep.

"Sirius?" she asked quietly. He opened his eyes and saw her looking at him again. She smiled. "I think we'd better go.". Sirius looked at her face, really looked. Took in everything. Surely he didn't fancy her, did he?

He nodded, and she transformed immediatly into her dog. Sirius watched her shake herself, before transforming himself, gathering up his clothes in his mouth before walking with her.

Sirius hated this part of falling asleep. _Once again, I'm thinking..._he thought as he watched the darkness above him. All he had to do was stop thinking and drift off, but he never could stop thinking. Infact, he was never more thinking than he was before he went to sleep. He was thinking of the same things lately. Not Regulus and the Death Eaters. Not Snape and how annoying he was. Not something that had made him angry, or what to remember for class. Something alot more worrying than all of those combined. _Did he fancy Persephone Scamander?_

"No," he said to himself. He closed his eyes and smiled. "No..."

But that didn't stop her face creeping into his head, staring up at him, inches from his.

IIII

James' anticipation of the New Year's Eve party was made very public on December 31st- something which Sirius found to be slightly disturbing.

"Do you think I should wear the black or the blue?" James held his shirts up infront of him as Sirius leaved through a copy of some obscure Quidditch magazine James had started collecting. "Or maybe the brown? The brown could look good..."

"Dear lord, Prongs," Sirius sighed impatiently, reaching the end of the mag and throwing onto the floor along with several other issues he'd flicked through in the past hour. "I honestly do not think Evans is going to be that bothered..." he looked up at James and narrowed his eyes. "But the brown."

"Sure?" James asked, hanging it on the back of his wardrobe. Sirius nodded and leant over the side of the bed to shuffle through the shiny covers. "Mmhmm...I'm wearing charcoal-"

"Charcoal?" James raised an eyebrow. Sirius frowned and looked up. "Yeah, it's like, a faded black colour-"

James stifled a laugh and shook his head. "Spending so much time with a girl has gone to your head, mate," he said. A magazine collided with his head. "Ouch! Oi, that better not be the issue with the new season preview..."

Sirius sighed from the bed and lie back, closing his eyes. James picked up the magazines and frowned at him. "Tired?" he asked, answered by Sirius's yawn. He tutted as Sirius nodded. "'tis your own fault for wandering off all night."

Sirius opened his eyes and scowled at him. "Can you hear yourself? You sound like Lily. And you say Sephie's gone to my head..."

James grinned proudly. Sirius shook his head. "You're a nutter."

Lily arrived with Persephone and the other girls just after Remus and Peter, and Mrs. Potter was (to James's satisfaction) being distracted by a short woman asking for advice on what to do with leftover turkey.

"Evening," James smiled to the girls as Sirius nodded behind him, swearing he actually saw Lily's eyes light up for half a second.

"Hi," Sephie said cheerfully, giving the two boys kisses on the cheek as Remus greeted Miranda, telling her how wonderful she looked and causing her to blush her way to Rome and back.

"Moony, such a romantic," James sighed dramatically, leaning against the dining room table and sipping his butterbeer, Sirius beside him with his arms folded.

"Who would've guessed it, eh?" Sirius shook his head. "Of all of us, I least expected Moony to get Miranda Farrow."

Sephie and Lily both scowled at the boys. "That's a bit harsh," Lily said. James and Sirius turned to her, and Persephone continued. "Yeah, Remus is a well nice lad. He's the type your mum would love."

Sirius tilted his head sideways, watching as Miranda grinned broadly as Remus whispered something in her ear, before the couple engaged in conversation with two Hufflepuffs. Lily nodded. "Yeah, look at him. He's so happy to be with Miranda. It's like he can't believe his luck."

"I can't believe his luck," James said. Lily scowled at him. "Well, I mean...Moony's...well, he's a good boy, I didn't think he ever thought about girls. And Miranda's blatantly the second most beautiful girl in the school-"

"Yeah, but she's classy, isn't she?" Sephie said. "She's so picky about boys. She's only really kissed two lads, and Remus treats her right. I mean, look, he's got his hand in the right place on her back-"

"Who's the most beautiful?" Lily asked, looking directly at James and cutting Sephie short. Sirius rolled his eyes, not believing for one second that Lily didn't know who James worshipped. James choked. "Um, what?"

"Who's the most beautiful?" she asked again. "You said Miranda was the second most beautiful, and almost everyone in Hogwarts thinks she's a goddess."

James looked at Sirius, who raised his eyebrows. He looked to Sephie, who did the same. He looked down, fiddling with the label on his butterbeer and stuttering. "Well, you are..." he mumbled.

"Who?" Lily asked again, frowning. Sephie and Sirius caught eyes and sighed. James had no problem yelling "Alright, Evans?" across corridors, but when asked by her directly who he liked, he drew a blank. Like he hadn't made it obvious already.

"You," James said, still suddenly fascinated by his label. "You are." He glanced up, almost frightened, to see her reaction. Her eyes were slightly wide. He looked back down and mumbled something. Sirius saw the look in Lily's eyes. The _I could kiss you_ look, the one he kept thinking he'd seen in Persephone's, and one he knew she'd seen in his. Lily didn't say anything, just swallowed, like she was actually amazed to find out James honestly did believe her to be beautiful, and wasn't winding her up.

"Beer?" Sephie asked, widening her eyes at Sirius, who caught on straight away and nodded. "Oh, yes, beer, we should go look at it...um..yes..."

They left the two, James still fiddling and mumbling into his bottle, and Lily slowly edging closer to him. Sephie turned to Sirius when they'd reached the grand piano, which had been charmed to play itself, like the other instruments that surrounded it. "Well, that's certainly a New Year's Revelation," she said, scrunching her hair slightly in her hands. Sirius watched James look up to Lily and smile awkwardly, blushing, and to Remus behind him, who was still charming Miranda. He turned to Sephie. "So, your mum would like Moony?" he asked. Sephie didn't look at him, still watching the other's love lives unfold, and replied. "Of course. Who's mum wouldn't?"

Sirius debated whether to ask the question or not, but the smirk that played upon his lips as he asked it showed his curiosity was stronger. "So, she wouldn't like me?"

Sephie looked at him and laughed. "Well, that depends on you," she said cryptically. Sirius frowned and she continued. "If you were the..._old..._Sirius, then no. But then, I suppose you'd never really need to meet anyone's mum anyway. But now..." She took a careful look at him, the cheekbones that gave away his lineage and the eyes that told a different story to the smirk plastered on his mouth 24/7 and grinned. "Now, I think any mum would be proud to have you."

Sirius's smirk turned into a smile, one that showed his heart had risen. Sephie beamed at him proudly.


	15. Big Girls Don't Cry

hey, as some of you have said you like the different take on Sirius I thought I'd explain why I represented him like this! Well, there are several reasons. One, because I've based him upon various male friends who have, in their time, been playboys. Most of them have grown up now and one has a kid and a wife so yeah, everyone changes. And he was the worst playboy of all! Also, in HBP i think, Sirius admits that Lily only started dating James in the seventh year because before that he was arrogant. And there was another mention on him growing up and becoming Head Boy, so obviously, the Marauder's had to mature, which is what I'm trying to put across. I also think that Sirius Black as Harry knows him is wiser, more understanding and fatherly than you can imagine a playboy being, so obviously there had to be a transition, and a realisation that comes with growing up. Further to alllll of this, you'll soon see how various events which are obviously fabricated by myself lead my representation of JKR's character to be the person he is in POA and beyond. It's going to get alot more serious, and Sirius and Seph as well as the others will grow up faster.

Anyway,

thats it for now.

love me.

Enjoy.

­_I'll Be Your Best Friend Friend And You'll Be My Valentine. Yes You Can Hold My Hand If You Want To, Cos I Wanna Hold Yours Too.-"Big Girls Don't Cry", Fergie_

It was a cold January morning when the Hogwart's Express rolled into Kings Cross Station to pick up the shivering students for their return to the school, and The Marauders were pushing through the barrier that seperated the platform from the outside world. The steam from the old engine covered the entire platform, but Sirius could hear the voices of the people he strained to see.

"James!" Lily called across the smog, and within a few seconds of their turning she appeared, flanked by four other girls- one of whom, Alice, waved a greeting before dashing off to find her boyfriend. Lily grabbed hold of James and pulled him into a enthusiastic embrace, James' eyes nearly popping out as she squeezed but a gigantic grin on his face. "The necklace was beautiful!" she said, and as they pulled away Sirius caught sight of a silver carved rosebud hanging from a delicate chain and smiled. James was becoming a right little soppy git. "Hey," came a quiet, raspy voice beside him, and he looked down and to his left and saw the Mahogany hair and face of Persephone. "Did you recover from the other night?" She asked, raising her eyebrows. Sirius smiled, remembering how, on a midnight wander with her and James, Sirius had managed to fall down a ravine, giving him a tasty set of cuts across his forehead. He pulled back his mess of black hair that fell over his eyes and reveled the slightly less bloody but none the less graphic slice on his forehead. "Ish," he replied as Persephone's lip dropped. "Mate, that looks really bad," she said, putting her hands to his head and pulling it down to her height. She looked closer, pushing his hair out of his face. "You should really get that checked out..". "Alright," Sirius said, pulling his face away as it twinged at her touch. "I've already had this from Mrs.P.".

_"_We'd better get on," Remus said beside him as he sorted out his hair, careful to make sure just enough fell over his eyes before he picked up his trunk and threw it into a carriage. He noticed Persephone was wearing the same Led Zeppelin t-shirt that Sirius had got her for the fifth year Christmas and a very girly turquoise skirt. And a tasty collection of grazes herself from the resuce mission she and James had to undertake to get Sirius back. The entire journey was spent discussing the various activites each of them had undertaken that holiday-Lily having gone skiing with her family and proud that she'd mastered the sport with no magical help. Sirius' adventure caused a few laughs, but most were really concerned by the state of his cut- "OKAY," he said, agitated. "I'll go see Madam Pomfrey when we get there.".They sat down to the feast that evening, happy to be warm and looking forward to a good night sleep before Sephie walked over to the table and dragged Sirius out of his chair. "Come on, action man," she said, pushing his tall form out the door. "Time for nursey."

"Look, I'm sure it's fine," he said, but the look on Madam Pomfrey's face told him quite different. "Where did you acquire this injury, mister Black?" she asked as she prodded his forehead. "Oh, I fell down a ravine," he said, blinking rapidly, determined not to show how much this was hurting him. Madam Pomfrey nodded. "Where there any signs of a purple, prickly bush?" She asked. Sirius furrowed his brow and tried to remember. "Yes! I had to pull you past it, it ripped my clothes," Sephie chipped in. Pomfrey's eyes widened. "Ahhh..oh dear," she said, before dashing over to a cupboard and rummaging through several dusty bottles, grabbing a tiny green one and returning with a swab. "It appears, mister Black, that you fell into a Puncturing Bulberis," she said, before dabbing the cut. Sirius squealed, Sephie laughing at his efeminate reaction. "What the hell is this stuff?" he asked, his eyes watering as a burning pain seared around his face. Madam Pomfrey squeezed the cut slightly before continuing to dab. "This is nothing, mister Black," she replied, putting the bottle down and dashing to pick up another. "This is the one you should be worried about. We'll have to keep you in over night. I've killed off the venom in your veins, but I'm afraid I need to inject some of this to clear it out.". Sirius' eyes widened in horror. "And injection?"

"Pfft..." Sephie tried to stop herself laughing at his face as Madam Pomfrey nodded. Sirius whipped his head to scowl at his friend. "Hey! It's not funny. I don't like them, okay?"

"Scaredy Cat," Sephie replied, sticking her tongue out. Madam Pomfrey's hand removed a large, silver needle and attached it to a syringe filled with the purple liquid. Sirius gulped and felt his face start sweating. "Look, I'm sure it'll just work it's way out..." he tried to reason, but the nurse shook her head. "No, they'll only clog your veins.". Sirius felt his eyes prick with tears. He was absolutley terrified. "Ready?" Asked the nurse as she flicked the bubbles out of the syringe. He grabbed hold of Sephie's hand and closed his eyes, feeling dizzy. He gripped and gripped, hearing Sephie's squeals of pain but more bothered about the piercing instrument now imbeded in his arm. He took deep breaths and tried to imagine something happy...but all he could think of was the feeling of mud being pumped through his arm. He felt the needle pull out. "There," Madam Pomfrey said, dabbing the small hole left as Sirius opened his eyes. "Not too painful, was it?"

"Yes!" Sephie said, cursing as she pulled her fingers out of his grip. They were purple, white and had no feeling left in them.

"Sorry," Sirius said, before lying back and relaxing. "First day back and I'm already fucking here."

Madam Pomfrey returned to her office, filled out a form and instructed Sirius to stay in bed all night. He would be fit to go to classes the next morning. "Awesome," he breathed. "All this and I don't even miss class."

"Hey," Sephie seemed offended. "You've got Transfiguration with me tomorrow, it's always fun."

The scar stayed on Sirius' forehead for over a month, but luckily his hair covered it. Persephone always checked on it daily though, and Sirius was rather enjoying being fussed over like he was some kind of war hero. "Well, don't worry, you still look handsome enough to get a date for Friday," Sephie said after her inspection one evening. They were sitting by the fire on the common room, and Sephie had snuck in as an owl. "What's happening Friday?" he asked quizzically. Remus gasped and dropped a book. "You mean...Sirius Black forgot Valentine's Day? Good lord, mate, haven't the girls been flooding around you yet?"

Sirius scowled and Remus was silenced. Sephie patted his hair back down into place before taking her seat next to Lily. "No, actually," he replied smartly. "They haven't. If you hadn't noticed, Moony, I don't do that kind of thing anymore."

James stifled a laugh. "Never thought I'd hear those words from you. Blimey."

"Well, I am very proud, Sirius," Lily said, smiling. "I thought you were a lost cause.". Sirius grinned. "Thankyou."

"So what are you doing then?" Remus asked, opening his book and scanning pages. "Well," Sirius thought for a second. "Potions, History of Magic, free period, lunch, then a spot of double DADA."

Remus rolled his eyes. Sirius grinned broadly. "See? I'm not even skipping classes. I'll just go to class, then, hang out afterwards."

"With who?" Remus asked. Sirius frowned. "Well, you lot.". Remus sighed. "Well, I'll be taking Miranda to the Three Broomsticks for a few light beverages, I'm afraid."

"Oh...um," Lily began, looking nervously to James. "Uh, James promised to take me out..." She saw the look on Sirius' face. "But we don't have to..."

"No," Sirius shook his head. "That's okay, James has wanted to get you out for years.". He scrunched his hair up slightly. "Fantastic. The first year I actually don't have a girl and it's the first year you lot are do have. Never saw that coming."

"Well, seeing as I am once again a single lady, looks like we'll be bumming it out in here together, wallowing in our own self-pity," Persephone said, smiling at Sirius, clearly none too bothered about spending Valentine's Day without a boyfriend. Sirius nodded in agreement. "Yep, us losers who can't get our leg over will have our own celebration." Remus scoffed. Sephie pointed gun fingers at Sirius. "It's a date."

As Valentine's Day fell on a Friday, lessons that day were disrupted by cupids carrying love letters and cards, many of them falling on to Sirius' desk as usual. He looked at every single one, but tossed it aside when he failed to see the name he wanted to see inside it. Apart from the one from James. He kept that one. James winked at him across the DADA classroom and made kissing faces. Sirius blew a kiss back jokingly, causing Professor Hilder to double take and feel very uncomfortable for the rest of the lesson.

"I swear he's gay," James said as they left the classroom. Sirius laughed at the thought of the burly Hilder being efeminate, but replied "You couldn't deny the look of longing on his face when he looks at me."

"He? Has this no-sex thing turned you?" Came the voice of Persephone as they rounded a corner to the hall for dinner. "Well, Happy Valentines Day," Sirius said, bowing to Persephone as she curtsied. "All set for our we-are-losers date this evening?" Sephie returned his voice as the replied "Why of course, young mister Black. I shall be outside the common room after dinner.". Sirius wiggled his eyebrows before turning to Miranda, who was beside Sephie. "I'll have her back by midnight." Miranda waved a hand dismissivly. "Oh, I don't care. You need a good shag, Black. Can't have you trying to seduce Hilder now, can we?".

Sure enough, as Sirius climbed the staircase to to the Fat Lady, the small Mahogany figure of his 'date' was leaning against the wall wearing the same black dress as she was when they...well, you know, and a pair of red shoes and a red hat. "I'll be back," Sirius said briefly, disappearing into the common room for a few minutes before returning with a small package. A tiny little navy blue bag. "For you," he said. Sephie frowned. "You got me a present?" she asked. Sirius nodded and shrugged. "It's Valentines Day." Sephie oepend the little bag and pulled out a small black cord with a red heart hanging from it. "Aww, Sirius, If I'd have known i'd have got you something."

"Well, you got me out of being a slut. You know, you put up with alot of shit from me and I guess this is a thankyou. For looking after me. I guess."

Persephone smiled at him and kissed him on the cheek before pulling the necklace over her head. It hung around her neck and suspended the heart delicatly over her collar bone. "Ready?" Sirius asked. Sephie nodded happily. He took her hand and led her across the corridor and to the entrance hall, where they both hid behind a suit of armour and transformed, Sirius grabbing his clothes in his mouth. Once Sephie made sure the coast was clear, the two dogs, one black wolfdog and one white samoyed, trotted out the front door and into the dark, cold night outside. Sephie lie down on the grass, rolled over and howled playfull, rubbing her back across the grass as Sirius went to take a drink from the lake. He looked back at Sephie, whose familiar Samoyed face blinked at him sadly. _Alright, then..._he thought, before bounding over to her as fast as he could and starting possibly the most violent play fight they'd ever had which lasted at least half an hour until Sephie yelled as Sirius bit her ear. Sirius got off her and blinked in a "I'm sorry," way and licked her ear better. He noticed something around her neck as she lie there- a collar? But she wasn't a pet...he looked closer and saw it was the necklace he'd got her. It hadn't transformed like she had. Sirius barked at her in an attempt to tell her, and she tried to look down at herself, but failed miserably. Sirius laughed a dog laugh, and trotted off to where he'd left his clothes behind a tree. Sephie didn't change back, but lie on the ground panting as she wait for her human companion to reappear, fully-clothed as he did. "Hey, you having fun?" he asked as he grinned at her and sat down. She pouted and nuzzled his leg, still panting but asking for attention. He stoked her head, ruffling her white fur and watching her eyes blink. It was definatly odd seeing animals with green-grey eyes, but he'd gotten used to it. Usually the animals she turned into were Mahogany but her strong relationship with Cloud meant she prefered the big white dog. Sirius inspected where he'd bitten her ear, and saw a small graze. "Sorry, mate," he said, stroking her again to say sorry. "But i'm sure you won't need any injections." Sephie smiled and stretched, her arms turning human and within seconds she was a small girl in a black dress and grey cardigan. "Shit me, it's cold out here," she said shivering. "C'mere," Sirius said, pulling her closer with one arm and keeping it around her shoulders. "We haven't done this in ages," he said quietly. Sephie nodded. They both sat quietly for a few moments. "Is it weird not being with a girl on Valentine's Day then?" she asked suddenly. Sirius replied shortly-" I am with a girl." Sephie laughed. "No I mean like, a _girl_ girl.". Sirius frowned. "You mean, is it weird not shagging some randomer on Valentine's Day then?". Sephie laughed again. "Yes, but you put it that way, not me.". Sirius thought for a second. It didn't feel weird. It felt...he just felt older. "I think I've grown out of that now," he said. "James has grown up as well, apparently. Seeing as Lily actually spends time with him now.". Sephie nodded. "Yes, that's correct. James Potter is no longer a dick head."

Sirius looked at her quizically. "You thought James was a dickhead?". She looked back at him and raised her eyebrows. "Come on, everyone thought James Potter was a dickhead. Well, anyone who had a brain. All those stupid little girls that used to follow him around only did because he played Quidditch or because he was funny. Or because their friends did.". Sirius thought for a second. James was a bit of an arrogant bastard back in the day..."What did you think of me?" he asked. Sephie looked up at him and smiled nervously before looking down. "Come on," he pressed. She sighed. "Well," she smiled and looked away. "I thought you were a right wanker, to be honest. Well, for the first few years. Then in fourth year we had History of Magic and I thought you and James were pretty funny."

"Did you think I was cute," Sirius asked jokingly. "Come on, you so did."

Sephie frowned and laughed. "No!" She insisted. Sirius raised his eyebrows. "No, I thought you were good-looking but I never had any intention of being in a broom closet with you."

"Sure," Sirius said. "You're just saying that to look cool.". Sephie opened her mouth in protest "No I am not! I honestly didn't think of you that way. I didn't even know you! You were just that guy everyone wanted to shag." Sirius nodded but kept his eyebrows raised as if he didn't believe her. "Sirius, come on. I'm friends with Miranda and Regina. You know those two always get the boys. They're always really forward and flirty and if they didn't want you then what makes you think I did?"

Sirius faltered a second. Thought back to third year. "Um, well, to be honest, Miranda did," he said. Sephie shook her head. "What? No she didn't, she wouldv'e told me."

"Third year. Summer. After Divination. We kissed for fifteen seconds. Then she felt really bad and embarrased and told me not to tell anyone."

Sephie shook her head. "What? No way. Actually...she did act weird all summer..."

"Hahaha, see? So if she wanted me you must have done." Sirius said, grinning at his smartness. Sephie ignored him and continued. "Maybe she forgot. I mean, I'd want to forget if _I'd _kissed-". She stopped. Fell silent. "Oh yeah..." she said, before laughing. "Man, haven't thought about that in a while.". Sirius shook his head. "Yeah right, you think about it all the time. You loved it."

Sephie laughed. "Dream on, loser."

But of course, she never told him what she thought of when she kissed Jack. And he never told her that he actually really, really wanted it to happen again.


	16. Come Here Boy

_As I Reminisce My Reoccuring Dreams Where You Said "I'm Falling For You Babe" And My Feelings Are Getting Stronger...I Know That My Face Is Only Too Familiar To Your Dreams. I Can See It In Your Eyes And I Can Tell By Your Body Heat. Why Are You Taking So Long? I'm Craving, Howling, Begging, Pleading When You're Mine Tonight. I've Got You Dreaming.-"Come Here Boy", Imogen Heap_

Persephone danced into the Great Hall for breakfast the Saturday morning with a gigantic grin on her face, and bumped straight into the person she was looking for- Sirius. "Why hello there," she said in a chirppy voice, her necklace still around her neck and matched to the red shoes she was once again wearing. Sirius hoped slightly she was in such a good because she had such a good time last night, but asked anyway. "Happy, much?" he walked slowly across the room with her towards their tables. "Yes, I managed to get out of the common room without getting a dirty look from Jack.". Sirius nodded, not really wanting reminding of Jack Elwood but happy that at least he wasn't sniffing round her anymore. Although it did remind him of something else..."Quidditch..." Sirius breathed. Persephone looked at him quizzically "Sirius, you don't play quidditch..."

"No," Sirius replied looking over to Jack Elwood as he sat down. "But James does."

Persephone opened her mouth in confusion, and looked up. Jack was glaring at James and Sirius, his eyes not faltering. He stabbed his bacon but didn't pick up one bite. "Okay, I want to sit here, but I feel bad. But I don't want to sit over there.". Sirius shook his head. "Just sit here, don't worry about him," he said, but his eyes weren't moving away.

"So, you went out with Sirius then?" came the voice of Jack from behind Persephone as she walked back to the Ravenclaw Common room to meet Miranda and Regina. She froze. Jack did the same, but crossed his arms. "What does it matter?" she asked. She closed her eyes. Waiting for his response. "What's the deal with you two?" he asked, or more demanded. "Does it matter?" she asked again. Jack shook his head and smirked. "You know, I really liked you. Really. But what has Sirius Black got that I haven't?" he slowly walked up to her, keeping his arms folded, stood beside her. "Other than a few STI's..". His face contorted into a slightly scary smile. "What has he promised you then?". Sephie looked at him. "It's not like that."

"Not like Sirius Black to want a shag?"

"Jack-"

"No, Persephone. I can't believe you picked someone like him over me. I was your boyfriend. Nothing was going wrong. And for no reason you ditch me, for Black." Jack's face was getting angry. "You know what? He's going to get in your pants then ditch _you. _Then you're gonna come running back to me."

Sephie felt herself getting angry too. Angry that after all Sirius was doing people like Jack still thought of him like that. He continued. "Why the hell is it girls go for him when they know what he's like? I'm fed up with him."

Sephie closed her eyes again and tried not to listen. She had the urge to walk off but knew Jack was angry and could easily follow her into the common room. But his words were cutting her. "Do you honestly think he cares about you?". It wasn't that Sephie believed Jack. She knew Sirius better than him. It was that Jack could be so hurtful.

"You know nothing." Sephie said strongly. Jack laughed but she carried on. "Me and Sirius are friends. And friends come before girls or boys, okay?"

Jack shook his head. "You and Sirius are more than friends," he said, before turning to leave. "Anyone can see that."

And as he lifted his head, a fist hit him square in the jaw. He was a big guy, but this unexpected punch knocked him off his feet.

Fuck off," James said, before turning to Sephie as Miranda and Regina climbed out of the portrait hole, looking at the curled up form of Jack on the floor. "Sirius is waiting."

"Thanks, but I don't think you shouldv'e done that," Sephie said, as Regina and Miranda followed the two of them to the entrance hall, asking various questions about how Sephie's ex-boyfriend ended up in a pile at her feet. James shrugged. "Better me than Sirius. He'd have gone to town.".

"But you've got Quidditch against him next week," she said concerned. "And he's beater."

"Don't worry about me, just don't tell Sirius cos he'll be after Jack for weeks. Now shh," he said hurriedly as they saw the forms of Sirius, Remus and Lily standing in the hall. Sephie put on a brave face as Sirius asked what the hold up was, and asked if she was alright after pointing out she looked shaken. "Just...had a spider crawling on me. Freaked me out a bit," she lied. Sirius didn't look convinced, but didn't pursue. "Come on, we'd better get going. I want to get plenty of drinks in," he said as he lead the group out of the castle, Sephie looking around nervously.

Sirius knew something was up. And he knew it wasn't a spider that was causing Sephie to jump and look whenever a door opened or check over her shoulder when they entered a building.

Jack had watched Sephie and Sirius out by the lake. He knew what they could do. But Sirius didn't know that.

"Look," Sirius said, after an afternoon of questioning and no answers as they left the hall after dinner. "I don't know what's wrong, or why you're worried, and I'm guessing you have a good reason not to tell me, so I'm going to let it go. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to stop worrying, okay?". Sephie guiltily looked at the floor and nodded. After all, it was under his own best friends orders she stay quiet, and James' did have a point. Sephie did not doubt Sirius' ability in a fight, magical or not, but she also did not deny Jack was twice the size of him. As they got closer to the Ravenclaw common room, Sephie started to panic. What if he was waiting for her? He seemed like he was going to get pretty angry. If he saw her and Sirius together he'd go nuts. Sephie grabbed Sirius' arm as she thought of being alone in a room with him.

"Stay with me," she breathed, clutching Sirius' arm. Sirius looked down at her, a concern across his face. He'd never seen Sephie frightened before. "Why?"

Sephie gave him a pleading look. He couldn't deny. "Okay, I...I'll have to change, hold on..." he breathed in deeply and transformed into the big black dog, and looked up at the girl. She smiled slightly, nervously, and led him into the common room. Sure enough, Jack was in there, sitting by the fire with his friends from the Quidditch team. Sephie chose to ignore him, but shook slightly as she walked across the room, the dog behind her. The dog gave Jack a long glare as it passed. Jack knew it was Sirius. His face burned. He watched the dog follow his ex-girlfriend up to her bedroom. He watched the boy that he'd been ditched for go into her room with her. And the door closed. Jack's hands shook.

"Shh..." Persephone whispered as the dog jumped onto her bed, although there were no sign of Miranda, Regina or any other Ravenclaw girls about. He looked at her sadly, before turning back into his human form under the covers. Sephie's mood had seemed to lighten now she knew she wouldn't be sleeping alone, and she wiggled her eyebrows at the naked Sirius now in her bed. "Mate, most girls would kill for this," she said, grinning. "Yeah well," Sirius pulled on his boxers under the bed sheets and snuggled himself in. "This bed is way comfier than mine."

"That's cos I don't wank in it," she said, sitting beside him and crossing her legs as she let the curtains fold around the bed, keeping Sirius private. Sirius gave her a look that told her he didn't believe her. "Oh, you know you sit here and think of me.".

Sephie laughed. But Sirius noticed she didn't deny it...he smiled to himself. She lie down on top of the covers and let out a breath of air. "It's only ten and I'm absolutely knackered," she said. "What a lightweight."

"You did have about ten pints today, that's a hell of alot for someone so small," he pointed out as she turned over to face him. She nodded. "I suppose..." and gave a yawn.

"I don't mind if you fall asleep," he said as she closed her eyes. She took of her cardigan and scarf and kicked off her shoes. "Hmm...I'd better put some PJ's on tho," she said tiredly, but didn't move. Her breathing was becoming heavier, and she tried to un-button her dress but found it a challenge for her sleepy brain. "Here," Sirius said, not thinking twice about helping her out of her clothes. He'd seen her in her underwear before. Granted, they'd got it on, but he could still keep himself under control when his friend was in need of a hand. "Where are your pyjamas?"

She waved a hand casually. "Into wash, Miranda spilt make-up on them," she sighed. "So you don't have any?" Sirius asked, starting to feel very odd suddenly about undressing a girl to keep her undressed. Sephie shivered as she shook her head. He sighed and picked up the light blue button down he'd been wearing that day and slipped it over her arms, like dressing a doll. "Here, you'll freeze," he said, and she pulled the shirt around her and kicked her way into the covers beside him, her eyes closed the entire time. "Thankyou," she whispered, before drifiting off into sleep. Sirius watched her for a long time, as her eyes began to twitch, a smile on her lips, and wondered what she was dreaming off. He swore a "S..." came out of her mouth, but it could have been a breath. She nuzzled into him, but he couldn't sleep. It felt odd having a girl sleep next to him, he'd always just done a hit-and-run, as James called them. He watched her move about slightly, getting comfortable and moving in her dreams, her mouth open slightly letting warm breath across his chest. He wondered why she wanted him to stay. And he knew it had something to do with Jack. He knew from the look Jack gave her. And he was going to find out, even if it wasn't from Sephie.

"Sirius..." he heard her breathe. He turned to look at her. "Yeah?" he asked, but she didn't hear him. She was asleep. "Sirius I do, please don't..."she said. "Don't worry..."

Sirius smiled to himself. She was dreaming about him. And in a good way. He worked his down a bit lower so he was laying down next to her flat, pulled his arms around her and kissed her head, before closing his own eyes.

Before he knew it, the sound of girls waking and talking was surrounding him from outside the curtains. He opened his eyes, and saw Sephie was still sound asleep. He stretched, smiled at her and ruffled her hair, causing her to stir awake. "Siri-"

"Shhh..." Sirius placed his hand on her mouth as she woke. She soon realised where she was and remembered why he was here and gave an "eek" look.

"I think Seph's still asleep," Miranda said. "We've been up for an hour and she still hasn't come out."

"Let's go, let her sleep," Regina replied, before the sounds of feet disappearing down the stairs told them they were safe.

"We'd better go to breakfast," Sirius said, ruffling his own hair. His signature just-got-up hairstyle seemed messy, but his actually just-woke-up hair was crazy. Sephie patted his head to try and get some tufts down with the rest of his flat hair. "You look like a puppy," she said dozily. He grinned. "I am a puppy, mate." And raised an eyebrow. He pushed the covers off and stood up, (gladly without the usual morning attributes a boy his age has), and pushed the curtains away.

"Oh, I slept in yor shirt," Sephie said as she got up. "What are you going to wear?"

"No problems," Sirius replied, turning to her. "I'll meet you at breakfast. I'll go back to the dorm and get dressed."

Sephie was down for breakfast a good few minutes before Sirius resurfaced, his hair perfect and looking fresh-faced with a happy smile on his mouth. "Where were you last night?" James asked, raising an eyebrow as he sat down. "Oh, I stayed in Seph's room-nothing like that!" He insisted in response to Remus' judging look. "She was worried about something."

James shuffled nervously and took down a bite to big of toast and almost choked, Lily slapping his back beside him. "Calm down," she said laughing. Sirius narrowed his eyes at his friend, who avoided his gaze.

Sirius, Lily, Remus and Alice were standing in the stands that chilly but clear morning with the rest of the school, awaiting the beginnings of the Ravenclaw Vs Gryffindor match. It was the second Gryffindor game of the season, and both teams were on their peak. Miranda, Regina and Persephone were opposite them, Sirius could make out Miranda's blonde hair in the sunlight next to a small mahogany figure in a blue coat. Both teams took to the air, warming up before the release of the balls. Cheers came as each player lapped the pitch...James winking at Lily as he passed. Sirius saw Jack start to lap, and watched as he passed Persephone. She ignored him as he stared at her, before he continued towards the Gryffindors. He reached Sirius and stopped, looking right at him. The two boys looked glares, and Jack smirked. Sirius shook his head in disbelief. "He was why she was worried," he said to no-one as Jack returned to his team. "What the hell did he do?" Lily looked at him in confusion, but the game began before she could ask what he was on about. Cheers erupted from both ends as several goals were scored by each team, and Jack didn't bother Persephone or Sirius any longer, but concentrated on his game. Well, up until James weaved past him and scored a magnificent hatrick. Sirius saw Jack's eyes narrow as James smirked at him. James' head was turned. He didn't see the bludger flying past him until it had rebounded of Jack's bat and hit him square in the face. He fell to the ground with an almighty thud. Sirius' swore he heard bones crack. Lily screamed, rushed down the stairs to the pitch, Sirius not far behind, and Sephie doing the same opposite. They all came rushing onto the pitch as the teams landed, Jack receiving hi-fives from a couple of friends as Madam Livelier reached the pitch. "James!" Lily cried, rushing over to his side to see blood pouring from a large swollen cut on his eyebrow. Sephie covered her mouth as she saw the wound and turned away as Miranda and Regina joined her. Sirius turned to see Jack laughing with two friends. He seethed. "Dickhead," he breathed, running towards Jack. "You absolute wanker!" And threw an enormous fist straight into his nose. Jack's head whipped, blood flying from his nose from the second punch that week. As Sirius pulled his arm back to give another, Jack retaliated, hitting Sirius in the eye and giving him a cut like James'. Sirius flew at him, knocking the large boy off his feet, throwing punches into his face as Jack's friends pulled him off. They held him by the arms, blood trickling down his face. Jack regained his posture and grinned, before punching him in the stomach. Sirius doubled over, choking. "Hard man, are we?" Jack sneered. "Are you?" came the calm voice of Remus Lupin, who proceeded to place a tasty smack of his own in Jack's face. Sirius stopped choking, and Jack's friends silenced their laughs at the display. A prefect punching another sudent?

"Enough!" came the yell of McGonagall as she ran across the pitch, her robes billowing. "Stop! Now! Lupin! I would never have thought of it from you! My office! Elwood, Jones and Richards- to your Head! Black," she looked down at Black's bloodstained face and sighed. It was true, she'd noticed Sirius's fondness for Sephie and saw it as an improvement, noticing the change in him. He stood up to face her, his eye starting to swell. "You'd better get to the hospital wings, you might need some help mending."

"What about me?" Jack protested, blood still coming from his swollen nose. "He broke my nose!"

"I don't care!" McGonagoll yelled. "In! Now!". Elwood scoffed, shuffled off behind Lupin with his two friends. Sephie came running over. "Sirius!" she cried, grabbing hold of his face, his blood trickling over her hands. "Sirius, you shouldn't have..."

"Miss Scamander, if you could take Black to the hospital wing, I'm sure James would enjoy the company," McGonagoll said, a small and barely unnoticable smile on her lips as Sirius looked sadly at Sephie. "Come on," Sephie put her arm around Sirius, although he had no problem walking. McGonagall watched the two.

Sirius lie asleep, the sedatives to help kill the pain had made him drowsy. James was still unconcious next to him. Sephie watched Lily brush James' hair out of his eyes. She knew Lily was giving in to James. She looked back down at Sirius. The swelling had started to go down. But the bruising was appearing. He would not be happy about that when he woke up. She watched his eyes flicker, as he had done hers. Wondered of he was dreaming about fighting Jack some more. She smiled. She'd never thought of Sirius having dreams before. She wondered what he dreamt of, if he dreamt of being a dog like she sometimes did. He made a dog like whine at one point, shuffling in his bed. It was dinner time when he woke.

"Feeling better, Mister Black?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she came to inspect the wound. "I think you can go, just be careful, you'll still be a bit drowsy." Sirius nodded, smiled weakly and pulled himself out of the bed.

"Don't worry," Sephie said as he stood up and stretched. "You still look beautiful. Just, colourful."

Sirius frowned, winced in pain, and turned to look at the mirror on the wall. His face dropped. Well, as much as it could. "Fuck me," he breathed. "I look terrible."

"But brave," Sephie said, nodding and wiggling her eyebrows, trying to put a positive spin on it. Sirius sighed. "What a c-"

"Come one," She grabbed his hand before he could finish the sentance, led him down to dinner.

Sirius kept his head down as he ate, but his eyes met Persephone's a few times. He noticed Jack wasn't there at her table. Maybe he'd been givin a major detention. Sirius was awaiting his own punishment. He had broken Jack's nose afterall. Remus had an air of proudness about him, probably because Miranda had congratulated him on a fantastic punch. Sirius stood when he finished, made his way to Persephone, who was also finishing her meal. He felt the eyes of all the students on him. He didn't look at anyone. He could see out of the corner of his eye McGonagoll whisper to Flitwick. "Come on," Sephie said in his ear as she stood. "Let's go see James.". Several other students left at the same time as they did, and they were soon lost in the babble of crowds leaving the hall. Sirius tried to dodge the people bustling in the opposite direction, but he was aware that someone large was trying to elbow him, no matter how he moved.

"Nice eye," came the sneer of Jack Elwood in his ear. Sirius turned, Sephie already lost in the crowd. "At least my nose is in one piece," he replied smartly, noticing the splint that was covering Jack's swollen nose and own bruised eyes. Jack smirked. "Not for long..."

Sirius wanted so much to chin him, but he'd already been let off. And Sephie had grabbed hold of his hand out of nowhere and was pulling him along. "Come on, Sirius," she pleaded, not noticing Jack. Jack noticed her though. And Sirius noticed the jealous look on his face as her hand clasped him. He raised his eyebrows at Jack in a suggestive way. Winding him up. "It'll have to wait," he said smartly, before following his enemy's ex-girlfriend. Sephie pulled Sirius towards the direction of the hospital wing, out of the throng leading up towards common rooms, and towards James' now awake form.

"Mate, you look like shit," James said, smiling weakly as Sirius joined his side. Lily had left for dinner as soon as they arrived, not wanting James to be left alone for more than a minute. "Me? Have you looked at yourself?" Sirius grinned, noticing James' own black eye and swollen cut on his eyebrow. James shook his head. "Nah, mate, pretending I'm still beautiful," he smiled. "What a c-"

"Yeah, so!" Sephie interuppted before James had a chance to finish, but didn't conclude. Sirius looked back at James. "I don't think it's over yet, mate," he said, taking one of James' Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and popping it in his mouth. "Just saw him again. Reckons he's going to break my nose this time."

Sephie glared at him. "You are not having another fight," she said sternly. Sirius and James looked at her aghast. "What, so I'm just gonna stand there and let him break my nose? I have a nice nose!" Sirius protested. James pointed at his head and shook his head at her in a 'duh' kind of way. "Hellooo?"

"Look, Sirius, you're lucky you haven't got a detention. That was alot of damage you did to Jack. I just, think if you ignored him it would be alot less hassle. And besides," She herself took a bean and smiled. "Jack's only in a strop cos I ditched him for you guys. You've already got one over on him. Smacking my best mates around the head a few times and knocking them unconcious really does _not _make me regret breaking up with him."

Sirius felt himself get a bit happier. Felt his usual level of arrogant rise again. _Yeah, that's right..._he thought.


	17. Cable Car

_Hello_

_Ive decided, Sirius Black as I have written him is based upon on of my friends. I just spoke to him on the phone, and realised he is were a based all of this on. He even looks like how I described him. Haha. Yes he is a fit friend. And Lily Evans I've based on another friend, who has red hair and green eyes and is the nicest person I've ever met in my life. _

_Anyway, thought I'd give you some more info on Persephone. Well, I can't say too much to give away the plot, but obviously, she is half greek. Which explains the mahogany hair and tanned skin with freckles. She's really short, and this isn't just so she seems cute. The idea is, Miranda and Regina are the outgoing ones, and Sephie always ends up looking after them. Probably why Miranda never let on about her and Sirius in the third year- Sephie is like her mother. Sephie is small because it reminds everyone that she is actually a sixteen year old girl, despite being able to turn into a bear or whatever. Like Sirius notices. She's not aggressive, but usually quite calm, doesn't worry much. She doesn't seem to be the type to defend herself, which is what makes Sirius want to look after her. She doesn't seem bothered about Voldemort going after her, because she's too worried about Sirius. But he doesn't realise this. You might be thinking "She always gets mad at Sirius, she defends herself!", but this isnt defensive. It's because she's actually upset to see Sirius with another girl. But obviously, if she let herself get upset, she'd turn into a panda and look silly. So she turns it into anger. She's not just Greek for appearance purposes. She frequently turns into an owl, and Ive shown this not just cos it's easy to show her visiting people, but because Athens is known for it's Owls. And, obviously, it's scholars, hence her being quite smart. Also, her animetomorphagus may come from having so many Animagi in her ancestry, although Newt Scamander being one isn't canon! Persephone the name is obviously Greek, and is the name of the Queen of the Underworld. If you know the Persephone story, then you'll click you fingers by the end of this story. It's similar, that's all I'm going to say! Think of Voldemort as Hades. _

_No, they don't get it on._

_Anyway._

_Here you go._

_Enjoy._

_xxx_

_Everyone Knows I'm In Over My Head, Over My Head. With Eight Seconds Left In Overtime, She's On Your Mind, She's On Your Mind..."Cable Car" The Fray_

Sirius waited for the retaliation from Jack, but it didn't seem to come. James thought he'd learnt his lesson, and just wanted to look hard infront of his mates when he threatened Sirius, but Sirius knew he was just biding his time. He could tell when he rounded a corner in a crowd that someone was watching him, waiting for the perfect moment. He felt very uneasy, but never let it show. He didn't make the first move, to get it over with. He waited. But he knew all he had to do was remind Jack who spent Valentine's Day with Persephone, or who spent the night in her bedroom looking after her, or who she visited in the hospital wing after Quidditch. He knew he'd already won.

The time came to remind Jack a month later. The end of march. The spring was bright, with no sign of rain. Sirius had gone out with Sephie that morning for a run, as they sometimes did Sunday mornings when James was playing Quidditch and Remus was doing last minute studying, and they'd got back inside in time for lunch, which they often missed. Sirius' hair was still messed up and Sephie's cheeks were a bright pink from the cold air, and as they walked into the hall, Jack took these as clues.

Sirius felt his eyes on the back of his neck.

Jack walked past, making sure Sirius knew he was looking, and left the hall. Sirius looked at James. He was too busy eating. He looked at Remus- reading. And Sephie was talking to Miranda. Sirius got up and left the table following Jack.

"Thought you'd come looking, aye?" Jack sneered from beside the door. Sirius smirked at him. "Do it then," he said. Jack shook his head and smiled. Before pulling his arm back-

"Hey!" Sephie's yell came. Jack stopped and looked up. "Persephone? You're sticking up for him again?"

Sirius had never seen Sephie so aggressive, as she pushed Sirius out of the way and pressed her palms against Jack's chest, pushing him backwards into the hall. "What the fuck is your problem?" she demanded, pushing him again as students turned to watch the scene play out infront of them.

"What?" Jack held his hands up in defense, letting the small girl push him. Sirius watched aswell, he was actually quite scared of Sephie. "What don't you get, Jack?"

Jack shook his head, he wasn't being defensive anymore, instead he pointed a finger at Sirius and started yelling. "I don't get how you can actually believe this..this...arsehole!"

"HIM?!" Sephie asked, aghast. "You're saying he's an arsehole?!"

"He's Black, Sephie, of course he's an arsehole!" he protested, waving his arms. Sephie shook her head in disbelief. "You are stupid, you know that?" she yelled. "For fuck's sake, Jack, when will you get it into your head? Sirius is my friend. My best friend. He treats me a damn sight better than you do, so how you can call him an arsehole I do not know."

Melissa dropped a knife. She looked a cross between jealous and intrigued. Regulus, who usually acted as if his brother didn't even exist, was watching with great interest. "And moreover, he's a fucking good person, you know that? He stuck up for James and he's stuck up for me, so keep your jealous little nose out of my life!"

Jack fell silent. James and Remus were getting ready to jump in if things got sticky, but Jack just stared. Miranda and Regina were open mouthed, and Lily was the same, as were Jack's friends. Infact, most of the hall were. Jack didn't say anything. He dropped his arms and shook his head, admitting defeat, and left the hall. Everyone stared for a second longer, but Sephie took her seat like nothing had happened and continued her meal. Sirius nodded in understanding and did the same, giving the cue for everyone else to do the same. Sirius watched Persephone eat, and made sure he finished when she did so they could leave together. She didn't say a word to him, didn't even smile. He walked beside her quietly for a bit, wondering if she was angry at him for going after Jack. But Jack was the one getting ready to throw a punch.

"Did you mean what you said?" He asked, not looking at her and keeping his head down. She stopped, and turned to look at him, a smile spreading on her face. "Of course I did," she said. "You know it's true. You do it.". She carried on walking in silence. Sirius smiled. He didn't ask why she was being so quiet.

"Yeah, so, now everyone knows how much you care about Sephie," James said in the common room that afternoon as the group sat talking. Sirius looked at him. "What?"

"Well, come on, she told everyone you stick up for her, and that you treat her good," he replied. "You know how everyone will take that. Especially your little fan club."

Sirius thought for a second.

"There's no going back now, mate. And she's gonna get alot of hate from girls."

Sirius looked out the window. He didn't care that girls didn't want him anymore. He realised it then. He actually didn't care anymore. Well, maybe a little. But not really.

"Sirius?" Lily tried gently, bringing him back to earth. "Mmm?"

She didn't say anything. Just smiled warmly.

James was right. Sirius was officially off-the-market, no girls tried as hard as they used to to get his attention, and he never tried to get theirs. He was like a completely different person. But that didn't mean he understood the situation.

So, him and Sephie were best friends. Why did that make him unavailable? He didn't really understand these unwritten social rules. He didn't understand how he'd gotten so attached to her. She was a mate, but no-one stopped trying to shag him when he and James were this close. Sephie often got scowls or catty comments made behind her back when she walked down halls, especially with Sirius. It wasn't like they held hands. But Sirius suddenly felt like he had a girlfriend. A _real _girlfriend. Even though he didn't. He couldn't comprehend his situation, and didn't believe anyone else did. James didn't, he and Lily couldn't see why the two weren't together. Remus agreed, but Sirius didn't think of Sephie like that. He was just...he just _cared _too much. He explained that all this late night chatter with her had created some kind of trust, and he understood that she could really find herself in a dangerous position if Voldemort knew of her. He said he felt like he had to protect her, look after her. He said she'd really helped him grow up, he felt better when he was around her. He didn't feel like just a boy who shagged girls, he felt like a person who had feelings and dreams and ideas. He said he didn't think of her in a romantic way, not anymore. She was just Sephie. James sighed. Sirius knew he hadn't heard the end of it. He went to bed that night, thinking of what everyone had said. He could never imagine having Sephie as a girlfriend. Girlfriends were annoying things, they told you not to go out and have fun, to give them massages and to kiss them left right and center. They moaned that other girls were around, but bragged about boys that liked them. Sephie didn't do any of those things. She only got angry when he got with young girls in broom cupboards, and only because she wanted him to break a bad habit. He wondered if, if they were to get together, she would become a.._girl. _Whether she'd not let him out past eleven, demand he pay for everything, get jealous. But then he got another though..._I'm a girl..._Well, he wasn't a girl. But he got jealous. He moaned about other boys...wasn't that what he did with Jack? Didn't he get annoyed when she stayed out in Hogsmeade with Miranda and Regina that time? And didn't he always want attention, and the only was to get it was to try and wind her up?

Sirius pulled the covers up closer to his head. He was thinking way too much into this.

"Hey there," Sephie said in a mock American accent as she took her place next to him in Transfiguration the next day. He jumped slightly. "Oh, hi," he said. He was still thinking about his transformation into a female. He looked away, but Sephie frowned and waved a hand infront of his face. "Helllooo, earth to Sirius? Are you in today?"

Sirius turned and looked awkwardly, before pulling books out of his bag. "Well," she said, getting her own books out. "Someone's in ga-ga land today.". Sirius flashed her a smile to tell her he was fine, which seemed to do the trick. "So, I was reading in the Daily Prophet about all those people who have gone missing, you know? You-Know-Who really's going to town," she said matter-of-factly. Sirius glared at her. She frowned. "What?"

"Seph," he lowered his voice. "Doesn't that worry you a little bit?". Sephie shook her head. "Well, actually yes, but not more than it should. Why?". Sirius rolled his eyes. "Seph, be realistic. If he finds out about you, you are in big danger." He paused and thought. "I think we should cut down on the going out. Or at least be more careful. I'm sure Jack knew it was me going into your room that night.". Sephie stared at him, her mouth dropped. "You are kidding me," she said. "Sirius Black, telling me to be sensible?". Sirius shrugged. "I'm just worried about you.". Sephie nodded and raised her eyebrows. "Okay...". She started to take notes with Sirius, and watched him as he concentrated. The boy really had grown up. His noted were concise, with bullet points, as opposed to the usual odd word with a doodle. She smiled as his furrowed his brow, looking up at McGonagoll breifly and taking down more noted. He underlined one word. He noticed Sephie watching him out of the corner of his eye and scowled. "What?". Sephie looked away and shook her head. "Nothing," and Sirius shrugged and continued. Sephie watched out of the corner of her eye as he circled a set in red ink. She stifled a laugh.

"What?" Sirius asked again, slamming his quill down on this book.

"Sorry, I just..." Sephie looked at his serious face and smiled. "You're so cute sometimes."

Sirius didn't know what to say. He just titled his head, smiled slightly and turned back to his notes. He'd never been called cute before.


	18. Everlong

_And I Wonder, When I Sing Along With You. If Anything Could Ever Feel This Real Forever. If Anything Could Ever Be This Good Again. The Only Thing I'll Ever Ask Of You-You Gotta Promise Not To Stop When I Say When.-"Everlong" Foo Fighters_

Sirius flicked his head up at once and scowled in confusion as McGonagoll informed him he was to go to Dumbledore's office immediatly. He hadn't been in toruble in months, what was this for? He gathered his things and stood, Persephone frowning at him. He shrugged, before leaving the room, wondering why the hell he'd been called to his office. Maybe Walbrga had died, he thought hopefully. Well, he was almost right..

"Good Afternoon, Sirius," said the friendly voice of the old man as he smiled warmly at the confused boy infront of him. "Do take a seat, I'm afraid I have to be the bringer of both good, and bad news."

Sirius sat down cautiously infront of the desk, covered in all sorts of odd contraptions he had never seen before in his life. Behind the head teacher was the portrait of his great great grandfather, Phineus, shaking his head in both sorrow and disappointment.

"Alphard, he couldv'e been such a good man," he sighed. Sirius scowled, before turning to Dumbledore and giving him a questioning look. "That's quite enough, Phineus," said the head master. "I think I can take it form here."

Phineus walked out of his portrait, probably to visit his one in Grimmauld Palace. Dumbledore sat down and smiled at Sirius for a second longer than usual. Sirius wondered if he'd missed some kind of question, and that Dumbledore was waiting for a response. "Sirius, I'm sure you know that the health of your Uncle Alphard has been in some...trouble, of recent," he said slowly. Sirius nodded. "I'm sorry to tell you that he is no longer with his, he died quietly and peacefully on Tuesday evening with his faithful companion Bubbles beside him." Sirius nodded. He'd never really been able to speak to his uncle, but he knew he opposed the views of the other Black's secretly. Often the old man would take Sirius aside when he was younger, or mutter something that only he could hear. He felt quite a relief more than grief- a relief that finally his Uncle had managed to escape the Blacks. And that his ill health had come to an end.

"But, happy times are ahead, I assure you. Alphard thought highly of you, Sirius, and with that, left you a magnificent sum of inheritance to you," Dumbledore continued. Sirius nodded...then realised what he'd been told. "Say what?" he blurted. _Magnificent sum of inheritance?_

Dumbledore chuckled slightly. "Yes, I'm sure Walburga will be pulling her hair out right now and blasting his face from the tapestry..."

Sirius didn't question how Dumbledore knew of the tapetsry, or his mother's habit. He'd gotten used to him somehow knowing everything that didn't seem important. "Sir, I..."

"Don't worry, Sirius. The money has already been transfered into your vault at Gringotts. As I do not know the exact amount, you will forgive me from telling you. That is for you to know only, and an owl will be arriving in your dormitory later this evening with a letter from Gringotts. Now, if you have no further questions..."

Sirius thought for a second. He didn't have anything to ask, he was shocked. Dumbledore smiled and leant in. "There's always someone, even if it's just one person. Always someone who thinks of you. Now," he straightened up and raised his voice. "I believe you're missing transfiguration? McGonagoll tells me you've made formidable progress. I can't keep you from that."

Sirius nodded, thanking the Professor before returning to his lesson. He didn't answer the questions form his friends until they were alone, in the common room late that night, Sephie having joined them.

"Fuck me," James breathed as he saw the figure on the parchment the owl had left. He passed it slowly to Remus, who inturn took a hard breath. "Good God, Padfoot..."

"Sirius," Persephone said quietly beside him as the group discussed what Sirius could do with the money. He turned to her and smiled weakly. "I'm going to move out of the Potters, get my own place," he said to her. "I can't live off them forever.". Persephone smiled. "My cousin is selling a place just outside London," she said. "It's a terraced house, small but cosy.". Sirius nodded. "Thanks, Seph."

"Anytime."

The small van with _Romilda's Removals _on the side in sparkly ink pulled up, and out came a pair of burly men in overalls. "Morning," one of them said to the group, before opening up the back doors. "Which one o' you is Sirius?"

Sirius stepped forward, and the other man held out a form for him to sign. "You 'ave to sign this when all your stuff 's out," he said. "Make sure we got it 'ere all right." Sirius looked down at the form and nodded. "Okay, well," he looked back at James, Lily and Persephone, who were standing in the tiny front garden. "Let's go then."

Sirius had ordered furniture the week before, and most of it had been in the Potter's house, standing around waiting to be moved to it's new home. Uncle Alphard had left Sirius a large mahogany table as well, which Sirius and James had already managed to magically squeeze through the tiny front door and into the living room. It was now joined by two brown sofas Sephie's cousin had left him, and James and he were now moving in a large mirror to place above the fireplace (after all, it's not Sirius Black's house without a mirror, he'd said to Persephone when she raised her eyebrows at him). Lily and Sephie were in charge of things like lampshades and cutlery, both being relatively small. The dining table was magically squeeze through into the kitchen, and two double beds made their way upstairs, knocking the banesters out. "Reparo," Lily said casually as Sirius swore, the banesters shooting back into place with a crack. When everything was in, it was 11 o clock and "Time for a cuppa," so Lily and Sephie made four cups of tea as Sirius signed the forms and James took a look at the garden. "As if you're moved out," James said as they sat on the old sofas. "This is rubbish.". Sirius smiled. "Nah, mate. You can come stay whenever. Anyway, it's only Easter, I won't properly be living here until the summer, and even then I've still got another year at Hogwarts."

James nodded, but sighed. "It's gonna suck not having anyone to push mum on to."

"I wish I could move out," Sephie said, looking around at the cosy living room with its big fireplace. Sirius scowled at her. "You have a massive house."

"Well, yeah, but it's more like a museaum," she said, sipping her tea. "I'd rather have a little place like this."

Sephie often visited Sirius, feeling bad that he lived all alone when he was only seventeen, but she knew he could look after himself. He had a wand, after all. She did have to help him with washing charms, though. And everytime she came over, she secretly cast a few tidying charms when he left the room. But other than that, she was proud of him. He always looked happier when she came over, anyway. James and Remus often stopped over, of course. But Sephie spent nearly every other day here, sitting in the old cordoury couch and flicking through books on the heavy coffee table. It was really homely, not like Persephone's house, where everything was polished and expensive and covered in maps and globes and diagrams. She felt like she lived in a museaum. But here, everything had something to it. Everything was comfy, and smelt like Sirius or dog or food. It was a tiny little place, with two rooms downstairs and two up. The living room was cosy, with a big fireplace, and the kitchen had a small dining table in it, and french doors that led to a small lawn with a shed. The creaky staircase had an old burgundy carpet, and upstairs was a small bathroom, Sirius' bedroom and a spare that Sephie often woke up in when she'd fallen asleep infront of the fire the previous night. Sirius couldn't really understand why Sephie would want to come to this place when she had a boat, a swimming pool and a mass of space at hers, but he didn't protest as he enjoyed the company. Most of the time they found some stupid thing to do, like trying to secure a washing line or attempting to play a strange muggle sport called _football_, which involved kicking a ball backwards and forwards and getting it into a goal. It was very boring, but it did lead to some playfights and injuries when they tackled each other too hard. They usually ended up in the kitchen, Sephie almost always made dinner as he Grandmother had taught her how to cook every time she went to Greece, and sat around the fire talking about the usual things (such as James and Lily, and whether they actually will get together,) and those strange subjects that no-one else really seemed to talk about, like what clouds are. And sometimes they played the "What If" game, like they were right now.

"What if," Sephie began, taking a chocolate frog from the box and unwrapping it. "Hmmm...What if I got stuck as a dog."

"I would keep you as my pet, and feed you treats every day and take you out for walks and tell you what to do," he finished. "And you'd bring me my slippers in the winter.". He grinned at Sephie as she scowled at him. "That's just mean."

"Or I could report you as a stray," he shrugged, taking his own chocolate. "If you'd rather.". Sephie hmphed and hugged a cushion. "Okay," Sirius thought. "What if...you were captured by you-know-who, but they didn't know who you were?"

Sephie frowned, thinking. "Just speak Greek and hope they let me go," she said. Sirius raised his eyebrows. "You can speak Greek?" He asked, impressed. Sephie laughed. "Of course I can, my mother is Greek and I go there all the time.". Sirius whistled. "Well, are there no boundries to your talents?"

"Football, obviously," Sephie refered to the terrible attempt she'd made at the sport earlier that afternoon. Sirius grinned. " So, are you fluent?"

"Almost," Sephie said. "I get really lazy. My mum gets really anrgy, I think she wants me to be a proper Greek speaker. I can say _ti mano popi sekone rroosooza pootanis _with a certain flair though, I think.". Sirius frowned. "What does that mean?". Sephie grinned. "Your mother is a whore with the face of a gargoyle," she replied proudly. Sirius laughed. "I couldn't agree more.". Sephie ate a few more chocolate frogs, Sirius watching her quietly. "Teach me," he said suddenly, breaking the quiet. "Greek?" She asked. He nodded. "Yeah, just some stuff, it's cool.". Sephie shrugged. "Well, i think useful would be _malakas,"_ she said. She saw Sirius's confused look, meaning he wanted to know what it meant. "It means wanker," she explained. Sirius laughed and nodded. "Malakas, that's definitley one to remember."

"I always remember _thelw na tin gamisw, _it means 'You Are Very Cute'," she continued. "And there are alot of phrases in Greek that really mean something, you know? Like this," she grabbed a piece of parchment and scrawled strange shapes onto the surface.

Μου δώστε μια θέση στη στάση και θα κινήσω τον κόσμο

Sirius frowned as he watched her write, wondering how she could remember such random symbols. No wonder she was good at Ancient Runes. She finished and popped the quill back onto the side. "There," she said, smiling proudly. "Not too shabby."

Sirius watched the ink dry quickly, trying to work out what it said. "_Give me a place to stand and I will move the world," _she explained, seeing him concentrating. She took the quill up again and wrote more symbols.

περσεφόνη

"Does that say Napoleon?" Sirius asked, highly doubting it did. "What?" Sephie frowned, never having heard of the person. Sirius had heard of Lily telling Remus about him. "It says Persephone.". "Really?" Sirius asked, wondeing how an a P could become an N and an S could be an O. And why was there a Q in there?

"I don't know what Sirius would be, but I know Black is _mavro," _she said, writing down a few more squiggles. "I'm not very good at the writing, I can only really do words I already know, not change new ones. But _me lene Sirius _means 'My Name Is Sirius', so _Yasou, ti karis? Me lene Sirius _is 'Hello, how are you? My name is Sirius."

Sirius repeated what she'd said, noticing how her mouth moved strangely as she pronounced the odd sounds. "As if you know that, all I know is 'I Love You' in French, and that's only because I said it to get some girl into bed.". Sephie laughed. "Well, in Greek it's _S'agapo,_ but it's not going to work on me, matey boy," she grinned, slapping his cheek playfully. She doodled more squiggles, which he assumed meant I love you. Then some more-

Τι είναι σκληρός; Για να είναι γνωστός.

"_Ti duskolon? To eauten gnoai," _she said. She looked at Sirius. "What is hard? To know yourself.". She grinned. The phrase hung in Sirius' mind, next to the Napolean of her name and the Black she'd written in squiggles. And the I Love You.

It didn't click.

Sephie had fallen asleep infront of the fire again, as usual. Sirius lifted her up, took her into the spare bedroom and tucked her in. "Sirius?" she breathed dozily, though he knew she was still asleep. She always talked in her sleep. "Don't forget it," she sighed, turning over to face him, her face asleep. "I won't," he said, wondering what she meant.

The amount of time she stayed meant she had her own stash of clothes, so she showered the next morning without thinking twice, changed into the navy blue dress she thought she'd lost and danced down the stairs to find Sirius making breakfast.

"Yasou, ti karis?" he said as she entered, beaming proudly. Sephie clapped her hands. "Very good," She sat down at the table as Sirius put the eggs benedict infront of her and joining her. It was the last day of the holidays, and Sirius felt almost too adult to be going back to Hogwarts.

"I'll have to go home about lunch time," Sephie said as she put her plate in the sink. "I need to pack for tomorrow.". Sirius nodded, finishing his mouthful and putting his own late with hers. "It's going to be weird, living in a castle again after this place," he said, looking around fondly at his kitchen. "But at least I don't have to scrounge of The Potters anymore. Besides, you can come stay whenever you want."

Sephie grinned. "Like I don't anyway," she replied, before turning and heading back upstairs to finish drying her hair. Sirius smiled, before walking back into the living room and sitting down. The book Sephie had got him the first Christmas was on it, and the parchment she'd scrawled on the night before. He picked it up and read it. Well, looked at the symbols. Thought back to what Sephie said the night before. Tried to remember what they were. He knew Napoleon was actually Persephone. The shortest one was Black. The long phrase at the bottom was the one about Knowing Yourself. And the one just above it was I Love You. He slipped it in his pocket.


	19. Look After You

_It's Always Have And Never Hold, But You've Begun To Feel Like Home. What's Mine Is Yours To Leave Or Take, What's Mine Is Yours To Make Your Own. Oh Please Baby, I'll Look After You. You Are So Beautiful To Me.-"Look After You"_ _The Fray_

The Hogwart's Express rolled into Platform 3/4 the same way it always did, like a very cheerful old man, tooting out smoke from his pipe. Sirius arrived on the Platform alone- it made him feel lonely, watching all the families kissing and waving goodbye. He saw Regulus in the distance, and his mother, and decided that he'd much rather be alone than with them. "Morning stranger," came the voice of Persephone from beside him, and turned to see her lookiing exactly the same as she had done yesterday. Usually, he'd notice subtle changes, because usually he wouldn't have seen her for at least a week. But these days, she'd become like James- someone who you only noticed being a few inches taller, or thinner, or more tanned, or with different hair when you looked back in pictures. And then it was hard to believe they ever looked so different.

"Alright, Padfoot?" came another familiair voice from behind him. He turned to see James, grinning as usual, and his mother who was beaming. "Oh, Sirius," she said, gathering him into a heavy embrace before setting him down to look at him, her face turning to concern. "How are you? Is everything okay? If you ever need anything you know you can call on us, don't you?". Sirius nodded at the questioning, but James intervened. "Mum, I'm sure he's okay..". She nodded, calming herself down, the worried expression fading back into a smile. She caught sight of the small girl standing akwardly next to Sirius. "Oh, you must be Persephone," she said, and the girl nodded, smiling nervously. "Um, yeah, you must be Mrs. Potter," Persephone replied.

"Persephone?" came an accented voice behind her, and through the smoke came a woman with the same Mahogany hair and tanned skin as Persephone, although slightly taller and more aged. Her nose was slightly different, and she had blue eyes, but other than that you could definitely tell this was Cassandra Scamander, and in her arms was a girl with dark brown hair asleep. A boy and girl, each with heavy trunks and looking nervous and excited were behind her. The boy had black hair and brown eyes, and his sister had hair the same colour as her two-year-old sister. Both were naturally tanned, and Artemis had freckles like her older sister. Apollus scruffed his hair up, and Sirius grinned. As if there were going to be mini-Scamanders at Hogwarts this year.

"Mum, is it time to get on yet?" he asked his mother, who was brushing hair out of the sleeping toddler's face. She looked at Persephone and gave her a pleading look. "Please, darling, look after your brother and sister. You know how much trouble they like to get into," she said, before her eyes set upon the people around her eldest daughter. "Oh, is this Sirius?" she asked, smiling a flirtatious smile at the boy infront of her. Persephone rolled her eyes and nodded. "Yep..."

"Oh, it's so good to finally meet you," her mother said, and Sirius couldn't help but think how sexy her accent was. No wonder she'd managed to snag some rich guy ten years older than her. "And you must be the Potters, I've heard so much about you..."

Mrs. Potter smiled proudly, and pulled her son to her side. "Yes well, your daughter has had quite an impact on Sirius, he's certainly bucked his ideas up a little with Persephone around..."

Persephone felt suddenly incredibly embarrased, as did Sirius and, apparently, James, who was pushing himself out of his mother's hold and to the side of his friends. "Come on," he whispered, before grabbing his things and leading the way onto the train.

"Sephie?" came a small voice behind her. Her little sister was following her and she didn't realise. "Huh?" she turned, and saw the smiling face of Artemis. "Artemis? You're supposed to be with mum-"

"Is that your boyfriend?" she asked. Sephie stared at her sister. "What? Sirius? No!"

"Will I get a boyfriend at Hogwarts?" she asked, looking at the boys on the carriages. "Oh god..." Sephie breathed. Her little sister was going to be a female version of Sirius, she knew it. "A boyfriend. One. One boyfriend, one at a time, okay Artemis?"

Artemis shrugged and sighed. "You wouldn't say that to Apollus..." she mumbled. Sephie sighed impatiently. "Artemis? Go back to mum, she'll want to say bye. I'll see you on the train.". Sirius laughed as Persephone rolled her eyes and put her trunk on the carriage. "Well, looks like this year's going to be fun for you," he said, watching out the window as Apollus struck up a conversation with another first year girl. James rubbed his hands. "Right, well, I'm Head Boy, losers, so I'd better go do the head boy stuff..." he said. Sirius frowned. "You mean, going and finding Lily?" James smiled. "Well, that just happens to be one of the upsides, yes..."

Miranda and Moony passed James in the doorway, the two holding hands. Sirius smirked. "Oooh, so..." he raised his eyebrows, but Remus shot his a death look. Sirius held up his hands in his defense, reclining on the seat next to Persephone. "I didn't say anything."

"Well, then, how is everyone?" Remus began, finally able to take part in the lengthy converstations now he wasn't a prefect.

Seventh year was alot more stressful than they'd ever imagined. Not only did they have exams to look forward too, but they had the small matter of deciding what to do next year, which was what they were currently doing in the Gryffindor Common Room.

"McGonagall's gonna want to know what you're doing," Remus said exasperately as the news of interviews hit Sirius. "But, I told her in fifth year..." he replied, but Remus shook his head. "That might've changed now, Padfoot. She needs to give us advice on what to do."

"I don't see what the big deal is," James said, kicking his shoes off and reclining, Lily daydreamily twisting her hair as from beside him. Persephone was watching her...

"Easy for you," Remus said. "You've known you wanted to be an Auror since you were about three. Some of us have it alot more difficult.". Persephone watched Lily narrow her eyes at nothing, obviously thinking. She flickered her eyes to James a few times. Persephone grinned. She wasn't thinking about what to do with a job...she was thinking about what to do with James...

"You know, James," She said suddenly, not moving her eyes from their upper left direction. "I reckon you're going to make a really good Auror."

James' mouth dropped. Lily was complimenting him? And out of the blue? "Umm, thankyou...?"

She looked dreamily at him and smiled. He smiled back, slightly confused. She seemed high..."Are you okay, Lily?" Sirius asked, narrowing his eyes at her. She nodded in reply happily. "Yes, Yes I'm fine..."

Persephone scoffed back a laugh. After all Lily's nagging at her about Sirius, here she was day dreaming about James. What a hypocrite."What are you going to say?" Remus turned to Sephie and asked. Obviously his mind was still on the worrying business of what a werewolf could do after Hogwarts. Sephie frowned as she thought. "I don't really know...I was thinking, I don't know, maybe travel a bit? I might see if I can go to Greece, see if I can work there, maybe as a teacher? I don't know...". Sirius glared at her. "No," he said, pointing his finger at her sternly. "You are not leaving."

"Why?" she asked, but smiling. Sirius shook his head. "Can't you just do something in this country?". Sephie shrugged. "It's a bit boring," she said, doodling pictures with her wand on a piece of parchment. "I've never really thought about it..."

James scowled. "Well, what did you say in Fifth year?". Sephie shrugged. "Just said I wanted to take the subjects I was good at, then see where they took me. I've got Ancient Runes, maybe I could be a translator for the Ministry, there are alot of things they have to do with Greece."

Sirius nodded. "Yes, in this country. Ministry, London, here. Not Greece.". Remus was jittery, he was twirling his wand and was clearly agitated by his condition. What work was there out there for him? Sirius patted his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Moony," he said reassuringly. "McGonagall will find you something. You now her.". His friend nodded, but didn't seem convinced.

Later that evening, McGonagall was sitting in the Common Room, discussing careers with the Seventh Years. James was cleared for an Auror, and was given an address to get in touch with the Ministry. Lily was also cleared for a Ministry worker, and Peter had even been told he could get into the Ministry as a Maintenance Engineer. Alice had been told to speak to James and write to the same address, and McGonagoll was currently telling Sirius about Curse Breaker training.

"You are undeniably talented in Defense," she said, skimming over his references from teachers. "I'm surprised Slughorn hasn't thrown you into his little club..." Sirius thought back to the one and only party he'd ever been to of Slughorns and sighed. "But, your Transfiguration grades have sky rocketed since you became acquainted with Miss. Scamander...". Sirius smiled to himself. McGonagoll removed her glasses and looked at him. She lowered her voice. "Sirius, I'm aware you know of Miss. Scamander's..._talent, _shall we say. I must stress how important it is that is be kept a secret, especially now the end of your education is nigh. Voldemort's army is ever growing, and now you are of age he will be looking for new faces...as you know above all others..." She raised her eyebrows and Sirius nodded, looking down. He knew his brother had dropped out of school to join Voldemort. The professor sighed. "Sirius, Dumbledore would like to see you and Persephone tomorrow morning. I'm afraid things have progressed immensely over the summer, more than any of us had imagined. I think it's best the two of you go together first thing, at nine. Do not worry about your lessons."

Sirius was frowning, wondering why they both had to go. But McGonagoll had smiled, moved back and put her glasses back on her nose. "Now...curse breaking..."

The next morning, Sirius had shuffled two first year girls out of the way to sit next to Persephone. The two girls didn't mind, just stared at him dreamily. "Seph, we have to go see Dumbledore," he said in a hushed voice. "I think it's about Regulus...we have to go to his office..."

Sephie scowled at him as she ate her toast.

"I don't know, but I think it is...".

She nodded, and followed Sirius to the familiar statue that led to the head master's office. "Jelly Babies," Sirius said, before leading Persephone up the staircase.

"Come in," came the voice of the head master as Sirius went to knock. He scowled and opened the door. Dumbledore was standing over the large bowl of silvery liquid in the corner, his hands grasping the edge as he stared into the liquid. He looked up at the two and smiled, but something was definitely wrong. It wasn't the same smile.

"Please, sit down, help yourself to some gumdrops," he gestured to the two chairs and bowl of sweets on the table. The two sat silently, neither took a sweet. Dumbledore smiled at them for a second before walking slowly round to the table. "I'm afraid to say, so soon into the year, and so close to your exams, that we have some what of an impending disaster regarding your secret, Persephone.". Sirius glared at her, her own eyes widening. "What...what do you mean?" she stuttered. Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid it would appear, as I'm sure you know, Regulus Black has left our midsts to join Voldemort. Too young, I think. Too foolish..."

Sirius rubbed his face, feeling guilty. If his own brother was the problem...he shouldv'e warned Persephone...all those times she came over...all those times they snuck out together...the way Regulus narrowed his eyes everytime he saw the mahogany bird...

"But, one more student has left us..." Dumbledore continued. Sirius snapped his head up at once. _Another? _But then he realised...he and James hadn't bothered with him, not wanting to upset Lily now the two of them were close. But there was no doubting, they knew he wasn't around this past couple of weeks. Dumbledore nodded, still saddened. "Yes...Severus Snape...I'm aware you're both acquainted with him...yes, a shame, he was a clever student. Very clever..."

Sirius's mouth was open. He hadn't noticed. Snivellus was a death eater, too? Persephone was biting her lip. Dumbledore looked at the two and smiled. But not once did a glimmer of happiness fill his face. But hope...hope did. "I'm afraid, the freedom you have enjoyed these past few years is leaving you. You must be aware, both of you, of the dangers you face..."

Sirius was no longer listening. It was his fault. If they knew of Persephone, he knew it was his fault.

The door behind them swung open and crashed against the wall, several pictures falling off walls and portraits tutting. Mad-Eye Moody stormed across the room as Dumbledore stood to greet him, but Mad Eye was inches from Sirius, a crazed look on his wide face.

"DOES REGULUS KNOW?" He demaned, grabbing Sirius's shoulders. "DOES HE KNOW?"

Sirius shook his head and stammered. "No...no...I don't think so...I-"

"THINK, BOY!" Sirius felt the breath hit his face. Dumbledore intervened. "Alastor, please, I'm sure Sirius and Persephone are smart enough to keep an eye out-"

"But Regulus," Moody turned to Dumbledore, dropping Sirius's shoulders, the crazed look still on him. "He's also a smart one, eh, Dumbledore? Easy to figure out a Mahogany bird with green eyes isn't a normal bird...easy to notice his brother has gone missing and white dog hairs are in the room..."

Dumbledore held a hand up to silence the man, who cut himself off and frowned. "Alastor, please," Dumbledore sat back down calmly. "We do not know how much Regulus or Snape have discovered. Hopefully, they will know well enough not to trouble Voldemort with matters they are not 100 sure about-"

Moody went to speak again, but Dumbledore's smile stopped him. "Alastor, the only thing we can do is wait it out.". The scotsman nodded. "Constant Vigilance..."

Sirius and Sephie made their way back down to the common rooms, having now a free period, in silence. Sirius was watching Sephie out of the corner of his eye, her face hard and staring straight ahead. They paused as they reached the moving staircases, waiting for the one they needed to re align.

"I'm sorry, I shouldv'e thought..." Sirius began, his voice wobbly. Sephie smiled weakly but didn't turn. "It's not your fault, Sirius. I won't let you blame yourself."

Sirius lie in bed that night, not able to sleep. Every second he wasn't with Persephone, he was worrying. He didn't want her to be alone, ever. He'd told James, Remus, Lily and Peter, all of whom had agreed to be on their guard about people knowing. Apollus and Artemis had also been called to see Dumbledore, and both of them were now glancing over their shoulders at every step they took, keeping to themselves and sticking together. Persephone and the twins had to meet every lunch time, and they were told to check in with their big sister every morning and night. Persephone spent more and more time away from the Gryffindor common room, not only to stay with her siblings but to avoid changing into an animal. This was when Sirius was stressed. He couldn't do his work, he couldn't talk to his friends without snapping before having to apologise. They were all being incredibly understanding, and Sirius couldn't thank them enough. Christmas was a nightmare, having to go to his own house and not see Persephone. He received a present- stuff for his house, and he sent her a present back. But even staying at the Potter's for Christmas didn't raise his spirits. The only time he saw her was at the Potter's New Year's Eve Party.

Her arms snapped around his neck as she jumped on him, two bottles of beer in his hands nearly being knocked over, but he wouldn't have cared. He wrapped his own arms around her waist, squeezing her tight with his elbows as his hands were full. "I've missed you so much!" She said, beaming from ear to ear as she let him go. "It's rubbish being stuck at home."

"Come here," he said, gesturing her to follow him as he walked upstairs and into his old room. She curled her feet up under her as she sat on the bed, and he noticed she was wearing jeans-something she didnt wear very often, and the colour of her chiffon top matched her eyes. It was alot quieter here, and Sirius and her could talk at ease, not worrying about being overheard. He sat next to her and handed her a bottle. "We can't drink much, we can't let out any secrets," Sephie said, raising her eyebrows, but she didn't stop smiling. "Thankyou for my present, I got these with it," she gestured to her clothes. "I'd never heard of it before, it's amazing! How did you find it?"

Sirius smiled. "I get some clothes from there, it's not far from my old house. Muggle clothes annoy my parents, you see." He said, pleased that the £200 credit at Topshop had made her smile. There was a few seconds silence, before Sirius asked. "Have you heard anything?"

Sephie shook her head. "Nothing, you'd think nothing had ever happened. It's all very odd. My parent's are going mental, keep saying we should move to Greece. They're going out there at Easter, I've got to stay at home, though. Dumbledore wants me in this country, he wants me to stay at Hogwarts. Wants me to know everything."

"No," Sirius said, giving her a pleading look. "Sephie, I want you here. I want to know you're okay. I..." he looked down. "..I want to look after you." he added quietly. Sephie smiled sadly, and ran a hand up his arm, to his face. She moved his face to look at her gently. "Sirius, you do look after me. I'm not going to go, I'm not going to leave you. I want to stay here..."

Sirius sighed sadly. "Sirius," she said. "Sirius, look, Dumbledore told me about this organisation they've got going. The Order Of The Phoenix. He thinks we should join up, when we leave Hogwarts. It's to fight Voldemort. Moody's in it, and loads of other important people. They're the ones who are going to protect me, and you, and everyone. They want James and Remus aswell, they need as many people as they can get. I'm staying here, Sirius. I'm staying and I'm fighting, I'm not running away."

Sirius looked at her and smiled. "Me too.". The two locked eyes, determination, affection and anticipation all into one. "We're going to be okay. I promise," Sirius said. Sephie nodded. Didn't say anything, but changed the subject. "I'm staying tonight, they don't want me to go home in the dark."

"Stay in here?" Sirius asked. Sephie nodded. "Yeah.".

Downstairs, the party was reaching it's climax. Sirius and Sephie joined the revellers at half eleven, joined in the singing and hugging, kissing everyone's cheeks, Lily drunkenly but ecstaticly agreeing to become James' girlfriend as the clock struck, Miranda and Remus getting it on in a corner. Sirius and Sephie grinned at each other. It was 3am when everyone began leaving. James and Lily had already made their way upstairs. Sirius and Sephie said their goodnights and returned to Sirius's room. Sirius closed the door and joined Sephie on the bed as she yawned, looking slightly drunnk but nowhere near as bad as he'd seen her before. She gave him a dopey smile, which he returned. "Night Night, Sirius," she said dreamily, before laying back onto his bed. Sirius laughed to himself, before pushing her over to the side. "Eugh, you take up so much room..." she huffed, shuffling over as he pulled up the covers. "Eugh..." she moved herself under the covers with him, kicking off her jeans. Her pyjamas were already on his bed, and she lazily pulled them on as Sirius undressed himself. Her eyes caught Sirius's as she snuggled herself in, comfortable at last. She smiled again, before yawning and closing her eyes. Sirius watched her breathing slow before he put his own head down.

At least he knew she was safe.


	20. Roadside

_Tell Me What I'm Supposed To Do, With All These Left Over Feelings Of You Cos I Don't Know. And Tell My How I'm Supposed To Feel, When All These Nightmares Become Real. Cos I Don't Know. And I Don't Think You See The Places Inside Me That I Find You. I Don't Know How We Seperate The Lies Here From The Truth. And I Don't Know How We Woke Up One Day And Somehow Thought We Knew Exactly What We're Supposed To Do.-"Roadside" Rise Against_

Sephie was sitting at her breakfast bar one night, alone, the only member of her family not to go to Greece when the patronus appeared in her kitchen. A Panther. "Sirius is on his way," it said in Kingsley's voice, before disappearing into thin air. Sephie frowned. What could seriously be going wrong on such a beautiful spring evening? She picked up her plate and put it in the sink before going through into the large hall to check the front doors were secure. Seriously, there was absolutely no reason to think-

"Sephie? Sephie! Quick," came Sirius's voice form the kitchen. She turned to see him stood in the doorway, beckoning, and frowned as she walked over to him. He ran to the french doors, shutting them and casting several spells around them. "Sirius, what the hell is up?"

He had a harried look on his face as he looked around, jinxing windows and doors left right and centre. "Sit down," he said, pulling himself into a chair when he was satisfied. Sephie scowled but perched herself on a stool. "What?"

"Look, we have to stay here," he said, his eyes darting around nervously. He lowered his voice. "Snape's definitely working for You-Know-Who, he's a full-on death eater. He's told them all about you. They know, Sephie. They know everything. They know where you live, they know your name, they know your family's names...They've been told to stay in Greece," he said quickly as he saw the look on her face. "But Dumbledore thinks they're going to come here. They know you're alone, Snape knows your family are away. Prongs and Moony and the Order are being alerted, we've come to get you. But we've got to wait."

Sephie's heart sped up to record speeds. Voldemort knew. He knew about her. She never, ever thought that this would happen. She never thought seriously of the danger she was in. She'd just assumed she'd be a normal person to them. For the first time since she was little, since she'd been taken to St. Mungo's to be told what she was, why her hands turned to paws when she played pretend with her friends, for the first time since then she felt like a...a _freak. _She was speechless. She was trying to take it all in. She'd never be able to see her family again. She'd never see Demeter. Artemis and Apollus would never go back to Hogwarts. How could _she _go back to Hogwarts now? She'd have to go into hiding, she'd have to live in a house with a secret keeper and everything. She was the centre of a war. She was too young to be an Order member, yet here she was being hunted.

Another panther flew through the window and onto the kichten floor. It said only two words-"They're coming..."

Sirius and Sephie looked at each other. Which they? She grabbed his arm and tore him through the hall, leaving dirty cups and chairs out as they pushed open the white door. To the basement.

Persephone's basement smelt of damp. She sat on a wooden chair at an old wooden desk. Sirius paced backwards and forwards by the staircase, his wand twirling in his hand. She looked at him. She knew he was restless. He couldn't just hide out here. His eye caught hers and she looked down at her own wand, rolled it across the desk under her hand. Then came...

Click.

One, small click. Her eyes flicked up to Sirius's, who'd stopped in his tracks. Then came..._Creak..._

Sirius swiftly moved infront of Persephone, who'd stood with her wand at the ready. Sirius's arm was held out, keeping her back, protecting her. The creaks increased. Footsteps. Above, and voices.

"Snape, the basement," came the familiar and undeniable voice of Lucius Malfoy.

The two raised their wands.

"Rookwood, the kitchen," came the voice again, muffled. Footsteps creaked off in all directions above them-one set slowly getting closer. The door knob turned, shook. Sephie stood closer to Sirius. Her heart pounded in her chest so loud in her ears she was sure Snape would be able to hear. She could feel Sirius's through his back, as quick as hers. Her palms were sweat sweating as she heard the word..._Alohamora._

The door creaked open, the light from Snape's wand casting eerie shadows on his face and hand. He pointed the wand down the stairs and Sirius felt the light hit his face.

"Hello, Snivellus..." he grinned. And before the words could leave Snape's mouth, the light shot from Sirius's wand and hit him in the chest, knocking him backwards-revealing four more death eater's behind him, wands raised. Sephie gasped.

"Give us her," came the raspy voice from one. Persephone scowled. _Her? How rude, _she thought. She stood aside from Sirius, in full view of the death eaters. She smirked. "Levicorpus," she whispered, raising Snape's stunned body into the air. The four hooded figures watched the body infront of them levitate. There was a second of silence, of anticipation. Then Sephie flicked her wand. The body flew with force at the figures, knocking them like bowling pins with several thuds and yells. The sound of running could be heard from all arears of the house above them, the voice of Malfoy yelling "Get up! Get her!"

Sirius pushed Sephie aside into the shadows as two more death eaters appeared and sent jinxes flying up the stairs to the troop as they scrambled to their feet and headed down the stairs. A curse soared past Sirius's ear, smashing a large terracotta pot in the corner. Sirius was backing away slowly, expertly blocking jinxes and curses while sending his own back, Persephone in the shadows, watching nervously, not wishing to send out jinxes that would give her away but desperate to help Sirius. She could finally see how good he was at magic. He was fighting off six death eaters single handed, and if it hadn't been life-or-death, Sephie would've been incredibly turned on.

There was another loud crash, a door falling somewhere, and several yelps and yells as a jinx hit a death eater in the side of the head. Sirius grinned as he heard the two voices yelling. Sephie's heart rose. Remus and James had arrived.

The death eaters were cornered on the stairs, and Sephie stood, still covered in shadow, but lifted her wand and sent her own jinxes. This didn't stop the curses missing Sirius by inches as he ducked and weaved out of their way. Two of the rear death eaters fell, dominoing the others down the stairs. Sirius's eyes widened and he dashed out of the way as the pile of cloaks and bodies hit the floor, but Malfoy had footed the banisters and was behind him. Sirius dashed behind the stairs as his eyes fixed on Malfoy's grin, backing away with his wand raised but hitting a wall. Malfoy had him. A wand was inches from his face. The death eater pulled of his hood and his blonde hair hit his shoulders. Sirius kept his wand steady as he backed along the wall, Malfoy following. Remus and James' voices were still sending curses at the stumbling pile.

"I've wanted to do this for a long while," Malfoy sneered. "Cousin..."

"STUPEFY!" The jinx singed Malfoy's cloak as it flew under his arm. His head instinctively flew up to the attacker, and he was distracted long enough. Sirius planted a full force punch into the side of Malfoy's nose, ten times harder than he'd ever hit Jack Elwood. Blood flew, splattered the walls as Malfoy buckled, one hand clutching his nose as he collapsed on all fours.

"Yeah," Sirius breathed. "Me too." He trod on Malfoy's fingers as he raced to his friends' sides, eyes searching for signs of Persephone but there were none...

Death eaters were shielded as they regained rank-seven on three. As the shield charm dissolved, the Death Eaters raised their arms...

Sirius breathed heavily. It was slow motion. Checkmate. Remus and James looked at him briefly as Rookwood grinned. Snape by his side, almost salivating at his chance to finish The Marauders...Rookwood's mouth moved, formed words, but Sirius didn't hear them. As the end of the wand began to shiver with the comings of a curse, something big and black had caught the corner of Sirius's eye, and in a second of wonderment he thought it was Padfoot. All sense had left him. But as the animal leapt into the air he saw infront of him not a dog, but a cat...a panther. It's jaw clamped over the wand, snapping it in two, it's green eyes catching Sirius's grey ones as the Death Eaters screamed. The animal landed, swiftly turning to protect the Marauders as Sirius had done her. It's tail whipped, it's jaws let out a threatening growl. Several figures dropped their wands in terror, and all of them turned. Ran, screaming and scrambling up the staircase.

"It's her, you fools! It's her!" Malfoy was yelling, trying to regain his posture from the corner, his hands still clutching his blood-stained face. He raised his wand. "You idiots! Get her!"

But the Death Eaters had already fled, the panther was dashing up the stairs after them as the Marauders turned to Malfoy. His eyes froze-three wands were pointed at him, three wands flashed and three voices yelled. Malfoy was thrown backwards, his wand flying out of his hand, hitting the ceiling and landing at their feet. They transformed, Remus running beside the dog and deer upstairs, the windows smashed and doors knocked off their hinges from the death eaters escape and the Marauders dived through the door and into the night.

"James!" Lily screamed as the group burst into Miranda's kitchen. Miranda was shaking, white as a ghost, her face streaming with tears as she saw the friends were okay. Lily jumped onto James, Remus hurried over to tell Miranda they were okay as Sirius turned to Sephie. "You okay?" he asked, his hands rubbing her shoulders although he himself was clearly more shook up. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine," she said, smiling weakly at Sirius. He smiled back, pulling her into a tight embrace as the rest of the Order members appeared in the kitchen.

"Amazing," Gideon Prewett beamed as he came in with his brother Fabian, their almost identical faces full of pride. "Absolutely bloody amazing.". He clapped Sirius on the shoulders. "Seven Death Eaters, mate. Even I couldn't do that."

Sirius smiled sadly. Usually he'd be bragging, but it wasn't just hoisting Snivellus into the air as James gave him a wedgie. It was Voldemort's inner circle. They'd almost killed Sephie. He felt sick, even though she was standing infront of him. Her face was scratched and she was dusty, she had a tasty bruise now appearing on her shoulder and her hair was a mess. But she was here. "He's right," she said as the Prewett's moved onto the Remus and James. "You were amazing."

"Yeah, well," he replied, looking Sephie dead in the eye. "I'd be dead if it wasn't for you."

Sephie's eyes pricked. She paled. Sirius grabbed her and held her tighter than he ever had before, she couldn't be upset, not when everyone was okay. She was holding him and he was holding her. They were okay...

"Okay, everyone," came the voice of Alastor Moody, and everyone shuffled to sit or lean somewhere and listen. Miranda and Lily wiped their eyes. Alice and Frank made their way into the kitchen. "I think it's high time we got our arses in gear. Persephone," he turned to the girl, who nodded. "You're going to have to move. You're going to have to go into hiding. No more Hogwarts for you, or Sirius."

"She can stay at mine," Sirius piped up. "No one really knows where I live, except Remus and James, and Lily."

Moody thought for a second, then nodded. "Hmmm, okay. You proved yourself tonight, Black. And you, Potter, Lupin. We could do with you young upstarts in the Order."

James and Remus looked at Sirius, eyes wide, ecstatic to be taken seriously.

"So, Persephone," Moddy continued. "You'll need to go straight to Sirius's this evening. We can get your things later, it's too dangerous now."

Lily was biting her lip. Miranda had stopped shaking. Ish. "What can we do?" they asked in unison. Moody turned to them and smiled. "A potions mistress and the best Defense student in Hogwarts? We'll be needing you, girls."

"We should have a photo!" Fabian chipped in, smiling. Everyone turned to him. "Well, the way we're going, we'll all be popping our clogs soon."

"Yeah!" Gideon agreed. "You know, that's the best idea you've had in ages."

Moody rolled his eyes.

"That's actually a good idea," Dedealus nodded. "Get some drinks down your necks, we might not be celebrating again in a long time, and I'll find my old camera..."

Later that evening, after a few drinks and some more news, everyone had shuffled into the living room, Dedalus had set up the camera and it flashed, the Dumbledore brothers having arrived just in time to perch on the edge. Sirius held Sephie's hand and smiled. She smiled back.


	21. Why Don't We?

_So Many Things I'm Going Through, So Much I Wanna Do. It's Starting To Become So Clear To Me When Tomorrow Ain't Really Guaranteed. So Why Don't We Fall In Love?-"Why Don't We", Amerie_

"One thing," Sephie muttered under her breath. "One bloody thing, and he can't even do that..."

"Hmm?" Sirius asked, raising his eyebrows as he entered the room. Sephie scowled at him. "You left the mugs out. Now look," she said, thrusting a mug in his face and showing him the brown liquid that had solidified inside. "Eugh..."he jerked his head back. Sephie nodded. "Yes, eugh." She picked up her wand and tried a few spells to clean them before scowling once more. "That'll have to do."

Sirius followed her into the kitchen as she put the mugs back on their tree and tipped water out of the washing up bowl.

"I'm so glad you live here," Sirius said, grinning. Sephie rolled her eyes at his goofy face. "Only cos you're lazy."

"Yep," he replied happily, walking to the fridge and taking out a chocolate bar. Sephie scowled again. "Sirius, it's nearly lunchtime.". He frowned at her, his mouth full of chocolate. "Yeah, and?"

Sephie rolled her eyes once more. "Living with boys is so much hard work..."she breathed, before making her way upstairs. Sirius shrugged, took another bite of chocolate.

"SIRIUS!" came the yell of Sephie as he took a third bite. He stopped. _Bugger..._

"SIRIUS ORION BLACK! GET YOUR ARSE UP HERE NOW!"

"Sounds like Walburga," he sighed as he made his way upstairs. Sephie was holding up the short he'd worn three days ago. The one he'd spilt curry down. "This is so gross," she said, raising her eyebrows.

"Sorry..."he said, pulling his best 'guilty' face. It seemed to be good enough, as she looked at his put and stifled a smile before chuking the shirt in the laundry bin. She tapped his nose playfully. "Do no let it happen again."

Sirius grinned at her, and she shook her head. "Come on, sandwiches," she said, dancing down the stairs to make lunch.

Not much had happened since the Order had taken their photograph, and neither Sirius nor Sephie were complaining (that much) about living together. But that morning, two weeks later, the Daily Porphet landed on their table and Sephie gasped.

"Sirius..." she said as she picked it up, the bird pecking her impatiently for a tip but being ignored. "Hmm?" he asked, turning to look at her. Her face was white.

"Marlene..."was all she said. Sirius scowled. "What about her?"

Persephone looked at him, her face stuck, and thrust the paper at him.

_McKinnon Family Found Dead At Home_

_Ministry worker Marlene McKInnon and her husband, Derek, were found dead at their home last night along with children Lloyd and Grant. Investigators are treating the death as suspicious, due to signs of a struggle..._

Sirius stopped reading. "Fuck," he said bluntly. Sephie nodded. "This is bad," she replied. "They're going after the Order."

"Shit shit shit," he said, starting to panic. Marlene didn't know where Sirius lived, so she wouldn't have been able to tell whoever killed her. They were safe, for now. A patronus appeared at the table. "I'm coming," it said. Sure enough, Kingsley entered through the garden gate, walked up the path and into the kitchen.

"What's your real middle name?" Sirius asked. Kinglsey grinned and rolled his eyes. "Amaretto," he said. "What's Persephone's mother's maiden name?"

"Falirikis," the two said in unison. Kingsley nodded. "Fantastic, well, I'm guessing you've read the prophet?"

The two nodded. Kinglsey looked down sadly. "Yes well...We've come to a decision. Everyone is to have their minds swept of where you live. Except for Lily and James. Two two will become secret keepers."

"What about Remus?" Sirius asked. Kingsley shook his head. "Too risky. James and Lily are the two closest to you. The least people know, the better. After Marlene's death..." he trailed off sadly. After a second he looked up and smiled weakly. "So, this will be the last time you see me in this house. We'll have to send James or Lily from now on." He checked his watch and raised his eyebrows. "I'm meeting Dumbledore now. James will write to you this evening." He nodded a goodbye before leaving.

Sirius and Persephone sat in silence for a second. Persephone put her small hand on Sirius's. He looked at her, green eyes on grey. "We'll be okay," she said, smiling. "We can look after ourselves." Sirius nodded, but looked down sadly.

"OH MY GOSH, GUESS WHAT?" Sephie bounded into the hallway as Sirius came in the door. He frowned, thought for a second, then smiled. "DID YOU MAKE A CAKE?" he asked excitedly. She frowned. "No...?"

Sirius sighed. "What?". Persephone swayed on the spot. "I've got someone I want you to meet..." she grabbed his hand and pulled him into the sitting room. His eyes caught a tiny tan bundle of fur sitting on the corner of the sofa.

"I got us a guard dog!" Sephie cried happily, clapping her hands. "Well, and something to keep me company while you bugger off with your job."

Sirius shook his head. "Oh good lord," he sighed but smiled. Sephie swayed coily again. "I named her Bear, cos she looks like one."

Sirius laughed. "You're looking after her," he said, taking a few steps closer to the shy bundle. She was definately cute. A chow chow. She looked up at him, working out whether she liked him or not. He stroked her head slowly and she yawned happily. "Of course I am," Sephie said, taking a seat next to the puppy who turned it's head to look at her. It got up and plodded across the sofa, stumbling slightly before nuzzling Sephie's leg and yelping. "Awww, Bear, do you like Sirius?" she asked the dog, picking her up and holding her to Sirius's face. "He's lovely. We like Sirius. Sirius is good." The puppy tilted it head, frowned slightly, before dashing it's tongue out to lick Sirius's nose. Sirius laughed and got up as Sephie started jabbering on to her new companion. As he climbed the stairs, he thought about what Sephie had said. _He's lovely. _He smiled.

It was two months since Marlene McKinnon's death. Although many other deaths were spread across headlines, they'd gotten used to it. Persephone and Sirius were sitting infront of the fireplace, a desperately cold night after the scorcher of the day. Sirius was reclining, as usual, and Sephie was curled up at the other end, her feet tucked underneath her and a pot of olives and some dip balanced in her lap. Bear had fallen asleep infront of the fire place, and her fur was rising and falling heavily.

"How can you eat them?" Sirius gave Sephie a disgusted look at she popped an olive in her mouth. She stopped and frowned. "I'm Greek.". Sirius shook his head. "Doesn't make them less gross."

"They're not gross, have you ever even eaten one?" She asked, raising and eyebrow. Sirius looked at Bear. "Well, James said they taste...they're not nice..". Sephie shook her head. "Just try one," she said. "No, I'm okay, I don't want to throw up."

"Sirius, just eat one-"

"No, No, I'm okay, really-OW!"

Sephie kicked Sirius hard in the shin, and as his mouth opened she threw an Olive at his mouth. It missed, hit him in the eye. "Ow, fucking hell, Seph. Alright, bloody hell, don't throw them at me..."

He leant forward, rubbing his shin and blinking, and took a green olive from the pot. He looked at it, as if he was going to eat a maggot. He closed his eyes tight and put it in his mouth. He waited a second before he chewed. He smiled a little, then his face dropped. He swallowed. "That was gross."

Sephie rolled her eyes. "You are such a loser."

"I'm not the one who once laughed so hard they spilt potion all down themselves and turned green for twelve hours," he replied smartly, raising his eyebrows. Sephie gasped. "How did you know about that?"

Sirius laughed and nodded his head. "Lily Evans. Fountain of All Knowledge.". Sephie scowled. "Yeah well, James told me about that girl who gave you a bit of a shock in the Gryffindor Quidditch cupboard. Braces...dangerous things to have when you're going down there..." Sephie replied, shaking her head and eating another olive. Sirius gasped. "I cannot believe he told you that."

"Oh, and Remus told me you once wanted to be in a muggle boy band," she said. Sirius gasped again. "I was like seven! That little wanker...". Sephie laughed to herself, dancing her shoulders as she grinned and popped another olive in her mouth. "Yep, I know all about you, Mr.Black."

Sirius scowled. "This isn't fair. Girls actually keep secrets. The worst thing I know about you is that you once sent a sexy letter to a boy you were seeing and his dad opened it by accident cos they had the same name."

Sephie shrugged. "That's not the worst."

"Tell me..."Sirius whined. Sephie laughed. "No! Why would I want you to know that?"

"Because..."Sirius whined, pouting the way he'd perfected since being able to turn into a dog. Sephie rolled her eyes. "That look doesn't work on me."

"Yeah it does..." he did it again, made his eyes big.

"No, it doesn't."

"Was it that your boyfriend's dad walked in while you were doing it, and it wouldn't have been that bad but it was the same guy you'd sent the letter to, and you were losing your big V?". Sirius said quickly. He saw the look on Sephie's face and nodded. "Alright, Sirius wins..." He punched the air in mock celebration. Sephie's eyes were wide. "Miranda is such a bitch..."

"Oh, no she just wanted some help getting Moony. I told her it would come at a price..." Sirius nodded, reminising the secret meeting.

"Okay, so we really do know everything about each other now," Sephie sighed. "How boring.". Sirius frowned, and thought for a second. "Well, there is one thing I've always wanted to know..."

Sephie tilted her head.

"Why weren't you put in Gryffindor?" he asked. Sephie laughed. "Because it would've meant I'd meet you sooner, and my life would be over."

Sirius scowled. "Not funny. No, I mean...you and Lily are kind of the same. She's just a bit...goodier than you. I always wondered why she wasn't put in Ravenclaw."

"Maybe they got us muddled," Sephie said, putting the now empty jar of olives on the table and stretching her legs out. Sirius grabbed her feet sunconciously and put them in his lap. They always sat like this.

"Well, what did the sorting hat say?" he asked. Sephie thought for a few minutes. "It said something about I would have to make a decision one day. Something about, because of what I could do, I'd have to chose. And it would take alot of bravery, good for Gryffindor. I said I'd want to know more first. Apparently that's a very Ravenclaw answer.". Sirius nodded. "Spose...but it wouldv'e been cool if you were in Gryffindor."

"What, because then you could try and shag me in the first year?"

"Hey!" Sirius raised his voice, but wasn't angry. "I did not have sex until fourth year."

"I do remember you coming into History of Magic that year and James shouting "No Way!" at the top of his voice," Sephie nodded. "Must've been then.". Sirius laughed. "Yeah. It was shit."

Sephie laughed. Thought again. "Why did you get put in Gryffindor anyway? Weren't all your family Slytherins?". Sirius put his hands on Sephie's small feet. "Well, I did ask not to be put in Slytherin. It said it could tell I wanted to be different. And to stand up against my own family was very brave."

Sephie scrunched up her face. "Aww, aren't you brave ickle Sirius..." she leant forward and squished his cheeks. "You're telling me you wouldn't decide to leave your family if they were like mine?"

Sephie shrugged. "Spose. But you could still sponge off them until you turned 17."

Sirius nodded and pointed at Sephie. "See, that would be the smart thing to do. That's why you were in Ravenclaw."

"Yeah, well, I don't have a family now anyway," she said matter-of-factly. "Luckily gits get to spend the whole time in Greece."

Sirius sighed and smiled. He reached out an arm and pulled Sephie onto him. She turned, back to his chest and lie between his legs, her head resting on his chest feeling him breathe. He brushed her hair out of her face and wrapped his arms around her. "Yeah, well, you've got me."

"Yeah, you're about the same as a twelve year old brother," she replied, grinning. Sirius kissed her head, her hair was messy and he had to tame it down a little to stop it getting in his mouth. Sephie closed her eyes, her own arms on Sirius's, holding them there. Her breathing slowed, got heavier. Sirius closed his own eyes.

They were awoken the next morning by the sound of screeching and barking. Apparently, an owl had tried to wake Sephie and Sirius, and Bear had thought they were being attacked.

"Bear! Calm down!" Sephie was yelling as the dog chased the bird around the room. Sirius grabbed the letter from the owl as Sephie calmed Bear down. The bird gave one last glare at the dog before flying off, Bear trotting back to her place infront of the hearth arrogantly. Sirius's eyes grew wide and a smile splashed itself across his sleepy face. "Seph, look!"

She took the letter form Sirius, and screamed. "OH MY GOSH!" She threw the letter aside and grabbed Sirius. "As if they're engaged!" She pulled away after the quick hug and grabbed back the letter just as Bear started sniffing it and re-read it. "_We figured it's now or never with the way everyone is going..." _She read aloud. "_Hopefully we'll be getting married in September. Want to do it quickly! Can't believe she said yes, but she can't stop telling everyone. We're going to have a party so she can show off the ring. I'll give you another Owl with the details._ Ooooh a party..." Sephie nodded and smiled. "I can't believe James is going to get married," Sirius said, sitting down and rubbing his hair. Sephie sat down next to him. "I know, and to Lily. Two years ago I would've gladly put a bet on this never happening."

"Oh, come on, it was going to happen eventually. He had to just stop being a dickhead," Sirius replied. Sephie laughed. "Oh, and you're a fine one to talk."

"I'm not a dickhead!" Sirius protested as Sephie walked into the kitchen. "Well, not anymore..."


	22. Gifts and Curses

_What If I Fall Then, Where Would I Go? Would She Know? This Gift Is A Curse For Now. I See Your Face With Every Punch I Take, Every Bone I Break Is All For You. But My Worst Pains Are Words I Cannot Say. Still I Will Always Fight On For You.-"Gifts and Curses", Yellowcard_

"Do I look okay?" Sirius asked, scowling at his reflection before turning to her. She looked up at him and twisted her head sideways, before barking and putting her head back down to sleep. _Lazy git..._ he thought, but stroked Bear none the less. He head the footsteps come down the stairs, and Bear jumped up and wagged her curved tail. "Oh, so you jump up for her..." Sirius sighed. Sephie was wearing a cream silk halterneck dress with brown ribbon at the chest, and brown shoes and bag. "Ready?" she asked as she looked in her bag, before looking up at Sirius. "Wow, you scrub up quite good." Sirius felt himself smirk a little, his hair was still messy-but-sexy, but the black and black trousers combo made him look more elegant. He'd rolled the sleeves up for a more casual look, but Sephie was impressed. "Well, we'd better get going," she bobbed down and kissed Bear's head, ruffling her fur as the dog grinned. "Bye bye, Bear.". Sirius took one last glance in the mirror, adjusted a bit of hair before joining Sephie, vanishing before the dog's eyes.

"Hey!" Lily was smiling ridiculously, the giant rock James had got her twinkling on her finger. She rushed over to them as they appeared, gathering Persephone's tiny form into a massive embrace. Sirius laughed slightly as Persephone's eyes seemed to pop out. "Hey," came James' calmer voice, and Sirius and he shared a much more civil embrace, giving each other manly pats of the shoulder. "We got open bar, so go crazy.". Sirius nodded, impressed. "You sure know how to throw a party, Prongs," he said, looking around the room at the ornate decor. There was a heavy buffet table, manned by Minty and few other elves, and people were already seeming to be a bit drunk, a group of lads from James' work crowded around the bar and chatting to the young barmaid who seemed to be humouring them. "I love your dress," Lily said, taking a step back from Persephone. "You always have such nice dresses.." And as the two girls went into "girl talk" mode, talking about rings and dresses and flowers, James led Sirius to the bar, where they both ordered very strong drinks. "So, nervous?" Sirius asked, as he took a sip, but James just beamed. "Not at all, mate, not at all...". Sirius followed his friends gaze-obviously he still found looking at Lily to be the best passtime, as his eyes didn't leave. "So, how's life, living with Seph?" he asked. Sirius nodded. "It's okay, bit of a shock when she brought a dog home, but she needs some company during the day. I feel really bad, you know, her having to be kept inside all day.". James nodded. "Yeah...". Sirius took another sip of his drink. "But, at least the house stays tidy." James laughed. "Yeah, can't wait til Lily moves in. No more washing for me!"

Sirius laughed as well, and raised his glass. "To living with girls," he said. James grinned. "To living with girls.".

Sephie and Lily joined them at the bar, and within an hour the four were feeling very merry. "Dance with me..." Lily said seductively to James, who raised his eyebrows and didn't say a word, just took her hand and led her off. Sirius shook his head. "I can't believe these two are actually getting married," he said as Sephie moved closer to him, filling the gap James had left. "Yeah, I know. Just shows, people do give in eventually." she replied, before ordering another drink. Sirius thought about her words for a second, watching her as the barmaid created her cocktail. He wondered what it would've been like if things had been different in fifth year. If Persephone wasn't a Animetomorphagi, she would never have taught them how to become Animagi. Sirius would'nt have felt nervous about talking to her incase he let on he knew, because there wouldn't have been anything to know. He would've just gone right up to her after a few lessons of sussing her out, like he did every other girl. Would she have said yes? Would he have actually done the dirty with her in a broom closet and not spoken after that? She wouldn't have said yes, he thought, because he knew she was smart, and knew she wasn't like that. He remembered how shocked he was when he found out she'd actually had sex. Thinking about her having sex with Jack made him feel ill. Thinking of someone having her in a closet and never talking to her again made Sirius want to lay this imaginary person out. What if it had just been her and him in the Three Broomsticks? What if it was a date? Would they have become girlfriend and boyfriend, once Sirius found out what she was like? Would he have cheated on her, or would they still be together? This was the exact kind of thing he would talk about with Persephone-fate. He'd probably never be a curse breaker without her pushing him on, he'd still be a slut. He had her to thank for everything. She drank her cocktail, watched the dancers. Sirius finished off his butterbeer, before extending his hand to Persephone. A thankyou. "Dancing?" he asked shortly, smiling at her. She grinned back. "Never thought Sirius Black would be such a gentleman," she said. "Neither did I," he replied as she took his hand and led her to the dance floor. Having his hands on her hips was an odd sensation, like having his hands on a boy. Except, not gross. Just, awkward. It wasn't like hugging, when your arms just surround them. He was holding on to her, and she was him. His fingers could feel her hip bones, and his neck could feel her fingertips. They looked at each other for a second. Something couldn't be said...

There was a scream from outside the hall, and several members of the party turned to see what it was. Silence fell. Nothing...then another. Kingsley and Emmeline slowly and carefully neared the door. They heard a scuffle. The heavy breathing of a woman. Suddenly, a man in black robes and skull mask slammed a woman against the door by the back of her neck, and hrew her into the room. Several people gasped, and a woman screamed, but no-one moved. A sneer contorted under the mask.

"Evening," came the voice. The death eater raised his wand.

People ran. The Order stood and raised their wands. They were prepared.

Sirius grabbed Persephone's arm as her eyes grew wide and dragged her behind the bar when several more death eaters spilled into the hall, sending curses flying as people fled and the Order fought.

"Are you okay?" He asked hurriedly as they sat down, hearing screams and crashes and flashes of light. "Yes," she replied in his tone. "I'm fine."

"Stay here," Sirius ordered, before dashing out from behind the bar. "Sirius!" Sephie yelled as he left, but stayed put, trying to find her wand in her bag.

"Fancy seeing you here," came a familiar voice close to the bar. Sirius stopped in his tracks and turned. A grin played upon the face under the mask. Sirius stared. "Brother..."

"Sectumsepra!" came the yell of one death eater, narrowly missing Alice as she sent her own jinx flying. Sirius couldn't face his brother. He was only seventeen. He turned as Regulus raised his wand, ran into the mess of people and away before he was forced to. Lily and Miranda were fighting off one competent death eater, but the two slender girls dodged the curses easily. "Duro!" Sirius sent the curse towards the mask, and the wearing turned rigid. Stone. Sirius flew towards James, who was defending himself from a particularly large death eater, immediatly sending curses aside his best friend. Flashes of light, red, blue green and purple fly past them as they sent twice as many back, but the sheer size of the attacker didn't only make him a bigger target-it meant the curses bounced off him.

"Expelliarmus!" came the yells, three at once. The wand sailed out of the massive hand, into the air, hit the ceiling and landed on the floor. A small, red-nailed hand took it. Sirius glared. "Sephie!" He cried, as James continued to fight. Sephie had two wands now, and grinned at Sirius. A red flash came behind her, Sirius gasped, and without thinking she flicked the wand behind her shoulder. The flash spun direction and hit a table, causing it to shake violently and flip over. Sirius was impressed, but had little time to worry about that. If anyone knew this was Persephone..._Malfoy. Regulus. Snape. _he thought. Sure enough, within seconds came the yell of Malfoy.

"That's Persephone!"

Persephone turned as she heard her name, a flash of purple heading towards her.

"Incarcerous," she whispered, two lights flashing out of her dual wands and turning to ropes as they reached the attacker, spinning around him like a cacoon.

"Incendio," she said again, and they burst into flames. Screams of pain erupted from the death eater as his skin seared, his mask melting to his face and his robes singeing off his skin.

"Fuck," Sirius breathed, feeling almost repulsed by the way Sephie did this to someone. "Augmenti!" another death eater yelled, dousing the flames. Sirius was unaware of Snape standing behind him, a grin on his face as Sirius sent curses flying towards more death eaters.

"Sephie!" he cried, a tall figure behind her. She turned to face Sirius, and saw the lips of Snape move.

"Levicorpus," she breathed, smirking as Snape hung upside down the same way he had in the fourth year. Sirius turned and saw his old enemy, in the same state he'd been when James had bullied him. "Hello, Snivellus," he sneered, before taking his wand and snapping it over his leg, thrusting it back into his hand and running off. He could almost feel the heat from Snape's boiling blood. "Obscuro!" he yelled as a death eater looked around, trying to find Persephone in the mess of people now fighting. Kinglsey had tied two death eaters together, and Emmeline was causing one to fly into a table. He passed a death eater, mask removed, burn marks across his cheeks and his robes charred. It was Rodolphus. _So the woman who saved him..._Sirius stopped. _Bellatrix. _He knew how accomplished his cousin was. How much she hated Sirius. And she knew of Persephone...

"Hahaha!" came her familiar cackle. Sirius felt shivers go down his spine. That meant one thing...Two figures infront of him moved aside. Bellatrix was maskless, her long black hair falling down her back wildly, a figure fallen at her feet. Sirius was on his toes. He ran through the crowd, a death eater grabbed him. He saw the shape of Persephone across the hall. She was near Bellatrix...the figure at her feet shuffled, and Bellatrix laughed and kicked it. Sirius elbowed his attacker in the mouth, punched another death eater and cursed a third. He dived out of the way of a purple light, twisted around two duelling figures. Persephone no longer had two wands- Alecto Carrow had two. And she was pointing them at Persephone. The small girl's eyes widened as the wand flew into Alecto's hand, and she dived, transforming into a cat and dashing under the table, up chair behind her. Alecto turned, confused by the movement. "Come back, you little brat!" she yelled, as Persephone appeared behind her as a human once again. But behind her in turn was Bellatrix, who's eyes had moved up to the action, and an eerie grin now spread across her face as she saw Persephone Scamander, the one her master was after, and the one her cousin cared for stood right infront of her...She raised her wand. It was slow-motion for Sirius. As Sephie's mouth moved, Bellatrix's moved aswell. "Sectum-" Sirius ran, sprinted, as hard as he could. He threw his hand out, his wand shaking as Bellatrix finished the curse. "-Sempr-"

But before she could finish, before the A left her mouth, Sirius had yelled "Crucio!" at the top of his voice. The curse hit Bellatrix as Sephie moved aside, turning to watch the flash reach her attacker's chest. She doubled in pain and shook, Alecto too shocked to say anything. Persephone turned to Sirius, shocked herself by Sirius' use of such a spell. Her open mouth caused Sirius to drop his hand, stopping the spell. Bellatrix breathed heavily, but cackled.

"Sirius Black," she sneered from her kneel. Her hair fell over her face, but not in the same way Persephone's did. Alecto had fled, was now cursing others. Persephone was looking at Bellatrix, as she looked and Sirius. "Sirius Orion Black. Well, well, well. You _do _care for Scamander..."

Sirius was breathing heavily himself, but this from anger. From pure hatred. Suddenly, wanting to punch Jack Elwood for kissing Sephie's head seemed like such a trivial matter. He felt selfish for thinking of it. He didn't take his eyes of Bellatrix as she stood. Around him, people were disapparating. Bellatrix lifted her wand and pointed it at him, grinning. Sephie held her wand tight. Didn't want to act too fast. Bellatrix was thinking of the right curse...just the right one to do the most damage. But not to Sirius. She smiled. Raised her wand. Swiftly turned to Sephie as she yelled "Crucio!".

Sirius yelled. But Sephie had gone. She'd flown out of the window. Bellatrix's face dropped as Sirius disapparated.

Sirius arrived in the house, hearing a growl from the dark living room. "Bear, it's me," he whispered, and the growling turned to whining as the dog ran up to him, licking his fingers. "Where's Sephie?" Bear turned her head, before trotting upstairs. Sirius followed into Sephie's dark room, where she sat in the corner.

"Seph?" he asked, wondering why she was so scared. She jumped, turned and saw him. Her eyes lit up as she sparked to her feet, throwing her arms around him. "Sirius! You're okay!" she cried, Sirius holding her close. "Are you okay?" he asked pulling away. "Yes, I'm fine, just a graze.." she said, waving her arm lazily. "Are you?". Sirius nodded, "I'm fine, don't worry.." but his eyes saw blood darting about in front of him as she moved her arm. "Seph," he grabbed her moving limb, and saw the gash across her forearm. She'd bandaged it, but blood was still pouring out of it. "Seph, you need to get this sorted."

"I..I didn't know the spell to heal it," she murmered. "But muggles use this, it'll be fine..."

"Seph," Sirius saw she was speaking quickly and quietly. "Seph, please don't worry. We're okay now, Everyone was okay..". The girl nodded, but he noticed she was starting to turn white. And not pale...

"Seph, look, everyone's fine, don't worry..." he said urgently, really not wanting to deal with a Giant Panda. "I promise, it's fine, everyone got out." He pulled her into a hug and sat down with her on the bed. She seemed to calm down, her body regaining it's tanned colour. "Did Lily and James get out?" she asked his shoulder. He nodded and rubbed her back. "Yeah, they went before me and you. Alice and Frank made a narrow escape, but they're okay.". Sephie nodded, but didn't let go. Her and Sirius just held each other, both in shock, both relieved, and didn't let go until morning.


	23. With You

_this chapter is for the following people:taliapony, fantastygirl26,inmydreamworld,Jeaniverre,snuffles-sweetie,this-love-is-sirius, muzical and conflictinglies0214. And especially The Singer In White, as I cannot reply to her reviews which makes me very sad :(_

_I Don't Like Giving Up, Cos Giving Up Is Easy. And I'll See You Again. Just Tell Me Where You'll Meet Me. When I'm With You, It Seems So Easy. My Best Days Are With You. They Are So Easy, They Are So Easy. -"With You" The Subways_

"Come on, Bear, get off your arse," Sephie grabbed the lead of it's hook and Bear jumped up excitedly. "You are so lazy..."

She attached the lead to the dog's collar and slipped her feet into her ballet flats, before opening the little front door and taking a step into the outside world. "Mm, fresh air..." she said, locking the door behind her as Bear barked at a passer by. Her tail was going mental. Sephie rolled her eyes, although she knew hers would be doing the same in a few minutes. She lead the dog along the pavement to the park at the end of their road. Several small children were playing on the swings and a group of boys were playing football. Bear's eyes watched the ball being kicked about. Sephie dragged her dog behind the pavillion and into some trees, where she unclipped Bear's lead and hung it on a branch. "Ready?" she looked at Bear, who's tongue was hanging out in anticipation. Sephie took a deep breath, closed her eyes and within seconds was about two foot off the ground and could smell absolutely everything. Bear barked and Sephie barked back, before the two ran off into the park. They explored trees, hedgerows and the ditches, which Bear found much more interesting than Sephie, who just wanted to run around. Bear showed off her favourite spot, where she'd hoarded lost tennis balls and interesting bits of wood. It was a hot August day, a month before James and Lily's wedding. She lie down in the shade, panting, and Bear joined her. She explained as best she could how Bear would have to stay at home all day for the wedding, which Bear took as a bit of an insult. But Sephie soon made it better by finding her a new ball under a pile of old branches. After an hour, Sephie and Bear were both hot and thirsty, so they returned to the pavillion, Sephie hooking the lead onto the clip and dusting herself down. She had a good few pieces of tree in her hair, but it was only a short walk home...

Sephie knew Bear thought her and Sirius were together. Sephie had tried to explain, but dogs are simple creatures when it comes to mating, apparently. Bear would always growl angrily or whine if the two play fought, thinking they were arguing, and it took the two of them to cuddle to get the dog to calm down. When they reached the house, Sirius was already home. His shoes were kicked off in the hall, and he was lying on the sofa asleep. Sephie grinned. _Awww...hard day.._

But Bear was too excited. She jumped onto Sirius and lapped his face, causing him to choke and splutter.

"Fucking hell, Bear," he said, pushing the dog onto the floor and whiping his face. He looked at Sephie and saw the twigs in her hair she was trying to remove. "Good walk?" he asked. She nodded. "Yeah, bit thirsty..."

Sirius got up and stretched. "You been home long?" she asked as she walked into the kitchen, Bear now panting infront of the fireplace. Sirius shrugged, leaning against the kitchen table. "Bout forty minutes, hey," He reached for her hair and pulled out a couple of leaves. "And your shirt has a rip in it."

Sephie sighed, turned her head to look at the bottom of her back. "Oh, fucking hell," she breathed. "That's another one."

Sirius watched her drink down her glass of water, Bear plodding in to lap out of her bowl. "I know we're supposed to be all, hiding and stuff," Sirius said, running a hand through his hair. "But I was thinking..."

Sephie raised her eyebrows. "Hmm?"

"Well, could we go out tonight, like for a run?" He asked. Sephie smiled. "Yeah, that'd be nice."

Bear whined, protesting when Sirius and Sephie said she had to stay home while they went out. She'd resorted to sulking infront of the fireplace, and didn't even say bye to them when they left.

"I missed seeing you as a dog," Sephie said as Sirius licked her fingers. "OKay, Okay, i'm coming..." She turned into her own dog form for the second time that day and licked Sirius's nose. They bounded out the back door and out the back gate, Bear shutting it behind them angrily.

They ran not to the park, but down the alley in the opposite direction. It was a full moon again, and Sirius and Sephie kept running until they came to the edge of the Thames, just a trickle compared to what they used to swim in. Sirius stopped to take a drink, the moon reflected in the surface eerily. Sephie watched him, ruffling his fur as he plodded further in. She smiled to herself, and ran into him. He howled as he fell into the water head first, Sephie running off in the opposite direction and dog-laughing. Sirius got himself up, shook himself off and growled. Sephie sat and looked at him. Dared him to come for a fight again...

He ran, bowled her over and snapped at her playfully. She pushed him over, she was on top and she was the one snapping at him. He swivelled his head to gnaw on her paw, and she yelped, letting go of him. He watched her run away into the trees and chased her, her white fur easy to see in the dark. She yelped again from infront of him and stopped, by the time he'd caught her up she was human again, and frowning at her arm. It wasn't where Sirius had bit her, it was a different injury. She'd got a thistle in her hand.

"Fuck," she breathed, holding out her palm and seeing blood trickle from it. Sirius looked at her and licked her fingertips, making her smile. "This is going to hurt..." she closed her eyes and pulled out the thistle, whincing and throwing the culprit into the trees. Blood trickled down her arm and she whiped it on her white shirt. Sirius licked her hand as she sat cross legged, and clambered his large form into her lap. "Bloody hell, Sirius, you're a big dog you know..." he panted into her face, before jumping up, placing his paws on her shoulders and knocking her backwards, lapping at her face. She cried out and giggled, his tongue wet and tickly. "Sirius! This is so gross!"

He licked right up her face, from chin to forehead as she tried to push him off. "Eugh, Sirius! Stop it! Or I'll make you change back! And you know you always end up naked!" Sirius barked in a way Sephie knew to be cheeky. She rolled her eyes. "You haven't changed one bit since you were fifteen," she sighed, ruffling up his head. He whined and frowned at her. He liked to think he'd grown up at least a little bit. She whiped her face with her hand. "Eww, I've got dried Sirius gob on my face," she said, rubbing her cheeks with her hands. Sirius barked at her. It was getting late, and they were only going to be an hour. Sephie sighed and stood up, Sirius running around in circles chasing his own tail. "You are so stupid. Come on then," she said, clicking her fingers and getting Sirius to come with her. "You should stay as a dog, it obviously keeps you amused.." he ran ahead of her and snapped at branches and twigs, chasing the odd mouse through the leaves as they came to the stream. They followed it, Sirius jumping in and shaking himself on Sephie playfully. "Oh fucking hell," she sighed as he ran off ahead of her. They were both out of breath when they reached the alleyway, and pushed open the gate to see Bear still lying in the same spot. Sirius dashed into the house and upstairs to change, and Sephie patted her pet's head before going to change her clothes.

"I'm knackered," Sirius said as he came into Sephie's room, fully human and fully clothed. Sephie was once again pulling twigs out of her hair. "Come here," he said, patting the bed beside him. She obliged, and Sirius pulled leaves and the odd bug out of her mess of curls. She looked up at him and smiled. "You're like a monkey," she said, and he laughed, pulling what appeared to be a small tree from a curl. Sephie reached up and pulled a leaf out of his own hair. "You're just as bad."

Sirius and Sephie sat there for half an hour, pulling various souveniers out of each others hair and rubbing dirt marks off each other's faces. As Sephie rubbed at Sirius's cheeks, he smiled. If he'd never have been so bored in that Transfiguration lesson, he probably would never have met her. And she was perfect. She was smart, hilarious and looked after him. But when he was fifteen, all he cared about was whether or not girls were outgoing, if they put out, if they were easy enough to use for a week before slinging them out. It wasn't that Sephie wasn't pretty, because she was. She looked alot younger than she was, but she was still pretty. But Sirius would never have thought twice about her if there was a girl like Regina in the class. Regina was obvious. She wore lip gloss, straightened her bleached hair and checked herself in the mirror in lessons. Sirius wasn't saying lip gloss or high maintenance girls were attractive, but they were popular and easy. Miranda was gorgeous, but obviously smart if she made Sirius keep quiet about the kiss they had. But Persephone was subtle. She was friends with the boys, she'd proved that when she picked Sirius over Jack. She'd never once made a pass at Sirius...well, that was a lie. She came on to him that time at her party...but that was just a joke. It wasn't a serious suggestion like any other girl would've made. Sirius felt very fortunate that she'd sat in that exact chair that day, because he probably would've been shagging Regina the week after and Sephie would've thought he was an idiot. Or would they have become friends that way? But then Sirius would always be Regina's ex, that's how most girls worked. And he knew Sephie would never date a friend's ex. _Date? _ What was he talking about? Sephie was his friend, and he cursed himself for even thinking about her in that way. _He wanted to date her..._He couldn't deny he hadn't thought about it. Hadn't said that day at work that he lived with his girlfriend. That she cooked a mean pasta. But why did he say it? _What the hell is wrong with me? _He asked himself as he lie in bed that night, thinking of Sephie. Part of him just wanted them to be together, but he didn't want anything to change. But he'd never get a girlfriend and she'd never get a boyfriend if they were this inseperable. So something would have to change. One day. But now everything was fine. But was it enough for him?


	24. Nicest Thing

_I know DVD's weren't around in the seventies, but VCR's irritate me. Oh and the same goes for Plasma screens, and half the films they watch wouldn't have been made...but who cares, it's fiction._

_I Wish You Thought I Was The Reason You Were In The World. I Wish You Couldn't Figure Me Out But That You'd Always Wanna Know What I Was About. I Wish You'd Hold My Hand When I Was Upset, And That You'd Never Forget The Look On My Face When We First Met. Basically, I Wish That You Loved Me, That You Needed Me, That You Knew When I Said Two Sugars I Actually Meant Three. I Wish That Without Me Your Heart Would Break. Look, All I Know Is That You're Still The Nicest Thing I've Ever Seen.-"Nicest Thing", Kate Nash_

Sirius frowned at he finished his breakfast that August morning. Sephie was usually up on Sunday's now as she got the spend the whole day with Sirius and not stuck inside. He put his bowl in the sink and made his way upstairs, hearing a coughing coming from her room.

"Seph?" he asked, knocking lightly and pushing the door open. Sephie was lying in bed, her hair everywhere and her face pink. She pouted at him as he entered.

"Are you okay?"

She shook her head. "I don't feel well," she said, her nose clearly stuffy and her voice slightly croaky. "I fink I've got de flu."

Sirius gave her his lopsided smile and sat beside her on the edge of her bed. "Awww, poor you," he said. She frowned. "Fanks for de sympathy," she mumbled, but smiled back. He laughed slightly, pushing her hair out of her face. "Come downstairs, I'll make you some tea," he said, standing up. She nodded, pulling the covers round her and shuffling up. Her hair was curlier than ever, her nose was red and she was shuddering slightly. Sirius grinned again and pulled the duvet tighter round her. "Fanks," she said quietly, smiling. She followed him downstairs and plonked herself on the sofa, curling up in her usual spot and resting her head against the arm rest.

"Here you go, Persnivelley," he grinned, as he came in from the kitchen with a mug. Sephie glared at him and he laughed, sitting himself on the table. "Sorry, I couldn't help it."

"You're lucky I don't hex you to look like him," she mumbled, her small hands around the mug, keeping her warm. "You wouldn't dare," he said. He watched her take a sip of her tea gingerly, smile and close her eyes. "Mmm, tea cures everything.."

Sirius took a cushion from the other chair, concentrated for a second and managed to Transfigure it into a hot water bottle. "I'm impressed," Sephie grinned as he tucked it into her duvet. She gave him a sad smile. "I'm sorry I'm too ill do to anything," she said quietly. Sirius shook his head. "You're so stupid sometimes," he replied, sitting by her feet and pulling the duvet over him. "Jeez, you're feet are freezing," he gasped as he held her toes. "Better warm them up then," she grinned, her eyes closed. She shuffled and dug her feet under his backside. "Ouch," he laughed. He was looking around the room for something to keep them entertained when he heard a loud crack in the garden. He scowled, jumped up to go see what it was, and was pleasantly surprised to see Lily walking up the garden path.

"Lils," he said, giving her a hug as Sephie coughed from the living room. Lily frowned. "Is Seph okay?" She pushed past Sirius and went straight into the living room. _Hello to you too,_ he thought, following her.

"Hey, Lily," Sephie said, smiling dopily. "I've got flu, so don't get too close.". Lily thought for a second, before muttering "hold on," and disapparating. Sirius frowned at Sephie, but as soon as he opened his mouth, James and Lily had re-apparated into the garden, Lily carrying a small cardboard box and James a large electronic box.

"Just the things you need!" Lily said happily, handing the box to Sephie and ignoring the annoyed curses coming from James as he tried to get the box into the living room. Sephie took the smaller box as Sirius helped James place the larger one down. "What's this?" Sephie asked. Lily smiled proudly. "Only the best thing for flu, ever!"

Sephie read the words. "Lem-sip? What's lemsip do?" she asked. Lily took the box and pulled a sachet out. "It's a hot lemon drink, just put one of these in a mug and add hot water. It makes you feel a million times better." Sephie shrugged. "If it helps..."

"Why did you bring a television?" Sirius asked, James plugging the two plugs into the wall. "And what is this?" he pointed to the smaller box underneath. Lily sighed. "It's a DVD player, here," she reached into her bag and pulled out a selection of cases. "What's a DVD?" Sirius asked. Lily rolled her eyes. "Do you two never pay attention in Muggle Studies?"

"I thought they were VCR's?" Sirius asked, as James pressed a button and what looked like a drink holder popped out. Lily rolled her eyes once more. "No, DVD's are invented now, and they're better. Look," she took one of the cases and removed a disk and handed it to James, who placed it into the drinks holder and popped it back in. "Right," he took the remote and showed it to Sirius. "Pretty much the same controls as a VCR, I'm sure you'll work it out, Lily taught me and it didn't take _too _long."

"Anyway," Lily continued as the screen came to life. Sirius took his place at Sephie's feet, and Lily and James moved onto the other sofa. Sirius and Persephone were no strangers to TV, Persephone's old house having one and Sirius being an avid muggle football fan. They'd just never got round to getting one.

"Oh, you can keep this by the way, we've got a plasma screen now," Lily waved her hand at the tv, but continued before anyone could ask her what a plasma screen was. "We've just come to talk about the wedding."

Sephie immediatly perked up. "Ooh, really? Sirius, go make more tea," she ordered. Sirius rolled his eyes at James, who stood up to follow him.

"Girls turn into bitches when it comes to weddings," James mumbled as he looked in the fridge for some chocolate. Sirius laughed. "Lily starting to do your head in?"

James took a bite of a chocolate frog and closed the fridge door. "Well, it's okay unless you mention the wedding. Then she goes into Prefect mode. And it's even worse when you go to _hers _and mention weddings. Her mum goes nuts, starts asking me what I'm going to wear, who the best man is-oh it's you by the way," he nodded at Sirius, who smiled. "Cheers, mate," he replied. James continued. "But other than that, all is well in camp Prongs. How's things with Seph?" he raised his eyebrows. Sirius shrugged. "It's okay. She's getting really good at football, you know. She practises with Bear all day, I think. She could be a muggle."

James laughed. "I meant, _things,_ Pads, _things," _Sirius scowled as he handed his friend a mug. "There are no _things, _Prongs. Stop trying." And he picked up the other mug before he could be questioned any further and took it to Lily. She took it from him without glancing up, Sephie didn't even acknowledge Sirius sitting down again and James was completely ignored.

"We're going to do fittings for the dresses soon, I'll send you an owl, it'll probably be next week," she was saying. James opened his mouth, only to recieve a glare from Lily. He closed it again. "Oh, and you and the others can have yours done the same day," Lily said to Sirius. James rolled his eyes. "I was going to say that," he muttered. Sirius and James focused on the DVD playing, trying to ignore the girls' loud chatter of roses and sugared almonds and hairstyles, and after a good half an hour, the two visitors left.

"So, what do you want to watch?" Sirius asked as he brought her a mug of Lemsip, finally able to speak to Persephone. She'd certainly become more chipper, but her voice was still croaky and her nose still red. She smelt the mug and frowned. "This had better work," she sighed. Sirius picked up the DVD cases and shuffled through them. "We've got Day After Tomorrow, Jumanji, Armageddon-"

"OOH! THAT ONE!" Sephie waved her hand at the case. Sirius scowled at it. "Jumanji looks better..."

"But Lily said it was really good," she said before pouting. "And I'm the ill one..."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "If you insist," he sighed, taking the disk out and placing it in the player.

IIII

"This is really sad," Sirius whispered, his eyes fixated on the screen as Liv Tyler watched Bruce Willis say goodbye. He'd cuddled up closer to Sephie, they were both lounging side by side on the sofa, and Sephie had layed her head on his shoulder, his arm ending up round her waist. She turned to look at him, and frowned. "Are you crying?"

"What?" Sirius looked at her. "No! I'm just...you know, if that happened to you you'd be pretty upset.."

Sephie grinned. "Aww," she ruffled his hair. He looked awkward and sniffed slightly. "Umm, I think you've given me your cold..." he mumbled. Sephie lie her head back on his shoulder and placed her hand on his chest, and didn't move it for the rest of the film.

"Okay," Sirius shifted, coughing slightly as the credits rolled and Sephie saw him shiftily wipe his eyes. "Jumanji next?"

III

"Oh my god, this is hilarious," Sephie breathed as Sirius let out another bark-like laugh. "It reminds me of you guys learning to be Animagi." Sirius looked at her, having returned to his previous position. Although the film was no longer sad, his arm was still around her waist and she was still lying on his shoulder. "I'm so glad I didn't get stuck as a dog," he said, whincing as Robin Williams made room for the monkey-boy's tail. As the film went on, they'd shifted several times. Sephie had showered, was feeling a bit better and was no longer in her pyjamas, but they were still underneath the duvet. Sirius had made Sephie some soup, and several cups of tea, but everytime he returned to the sofa, he immediatly let her lie on him and held her. It was early evening when the film ended, and Sirius and Persephone moved into the kitchen to have dinner, before returning to the sofa to watch _Day After Tomorrow. _Sirius found this to be the best film, not noticing that Sephie had drifted off to sleep beside him until the credits rolled once more.

"Aww," he said to himself as he saw her shuffle, snuggling her head into his chest and sniffling slightly. "Come on, Persnivelly," he said, picking her up and carrying her to her bedroom. She had definitely gotten heavier, Sirius found it hard to lift her up the narrow staircase and if she hadn't been nuzzling him dozily she wouldv'e bashed her head several times.

"Here we go fatty," he said, placing her on her bed and tucking her in. He pulled her arms from round his neck and placed them beside her as she groaned. He watched her for a few moments. Even though she was ill, and coughing, and blowing her nose constantly, Sirius wasn't put off. Usually if a girl was will, he'd immediatly find her repulsive, but Sephie was just..._cute_. He pushed her hair out of her face before kissing her head.

"Sirius?" she asked, her eyes fluttering open. He smiled at her. "Yeah, feeling any better?" he asked. She shook her head. "No," she wheezed. She sighed and pointed to her throat. "And I'm obviously losing my voice."

Sirius laughed slightly, before climbing into bed beside her. "Come here," he sighed, pulling her closer. She pouted and let him hold her. "You're going to catch it."

"Ah, I could do with a couple of days off," he said, kissing her head. "Bit better?". She grinned. "Yeah, little bit."


	25. Like A Star

_It's Not A Secret Anymore, We've Been Through That Before. You've Got This Look I Can't Describe. You Make Me Feel Like I'm Alive. Still, I Wonder Why It Is That I Don't Argue Like This With Anyone But You. I Wonder Why It Is, I Won't Let My Guard Down For Anyone But You.-"Like A Star" Corrine Bailey Rae. _

Sephie looked out of the window that morning, feeling let down. Bear was asleep in the garden, as usual. She'd want to go out later though, and that's the only outside time Sephie ever got. She didn't understand why Sirius was being so controlling. Well, she did. He was just worried too much. It's not like he didn't have problems of his own, though. He needed to sort this place out, she thought, looking around at the books and parchment scattered over the table. Sirius left to go to work, and Sephie was left in the house as usual. No word from anyone. She hated being this cooped up. It was ridiculous. She was just a nineteen year old girl. Her friends were getting married tomorrow. And she had to be home early. _Early. _James had finally managed to snag Lily Evans, it was their wedding day, and she had to be home _early. _And she was a bridesmaid. She was supposed to be sleeping with the best man, not going home at six o'clock. _Wait a minute, Sirius is best man, _she thought, laughing to herself at the irony. Well, she supposed she would be sleeping in the same house as him, that's close enough. But really, six o'clock? There was a good reason for the Order to believe something might disrupt the day, but they were all going to be there. And besides, surely she wasn't the _only _person Voldemort was interested in. As she stirred her tea dreamily, thinking about how much she'd rather stay up and party with everyone else, an owl fluttered in gently and landed infront of her. It was from Lily.

_I know Sirius is being a bit OTT on this whole protection thing, but think you could slip out tonight for a few drinks? It is my last chance to regret talking to James, after all._

_Lily Xx_

Sephie smiled. At least someone was thinking of her. She highly doubted she'd be able to get out, but it wasn't like Sirius was her dad. Just a worrier. She smiled, thinking one night out wouldn't be so bad. It wasn't a high profile wedding, and would involve her girlfriends, some drinks followed by a journey straight home, and would make her feel a bit better about missing the celebration. She grabbed her tea and made her way happily upstairs, wondering what to wear. She heard Bear whine and follow her upstairs. She always helped Sephie decide what to wear. She thought about her black pencil dress, but knew Sirius would not be happy about her going out in it. She had to at least meet him halfway, and pulled out the masses of other dresses she had. She looked at a pair of jeans, but saw the look on Bear's face and threw them aside. Nope. She needed some new clothes. Bear was barking and pulling at something hanging at the end of the rail, and Sephie pushed the clothes away from it. Of course...it was the black halterneck sundress she wore on Valentine's Day, and when Sirius and her...you know. She'd forgotten about that. She doubted she'd still fit in it, staying at home and reading over Order things meant she ate alot of chocolate, crisps and pizza, which in turn meant she'd blossomed in the arse department. And the boob department, she thought. _Thank God for that..._ Still, it was nice to keep it, and remind her of the days when the biggest problem in her life was making sure Jack Elwood never found out she'd undressed Sirius Black in a store room. _Oh god, as if i undressed him...he nearly undressed me..._she sat on the bed and remembered how weird that felt. He actually kissed her. Like, on the lips. And meant it. He always kissed her on the head or cheek, but that was just friendly. And there was that time where she was wrecked and decided to wind him up. But, Man, he actually went to town on her that time. She giggled slightly. Sirius had seen her in her underwear loads of times. But thinking of it still made her feel...naughty. In a cute way. She sighed and put the dress back, before noticing another...the one she'd bought on a spree in ome muggle shop called _Topshop_ but never worn. It was red. And covered up her bum and boobs. Good enough for Sirius. And good enough for me, she thought, hanging it on her wardrobe door. She pulled out a pair of navy blue pumps, a navy blue bag and the heart necklace Sirius got her all that time ago. She giggled again. Man, they were cute two years ago. Whatever happened...

Sirius got home from work early, and happy. "Good day?" Sephie asked casually, watching him check himself out in the mirror. He turned to look at her and grinned. "Oh yes, I am awesome. Solved that little locket problem we've been working on for about ten thousand years. And.." he waved an envelope at her. "Got me a bonus."

Bear gave a toss of her head happily, trotted over to Sirius and nuzzled his leg, recieving her hello before going back to sleep. Sephie smiled and nodded. "Well, congratulations, I, however, have eaten a whole box of chocolate frogs, a whole pizza and drank eleven cups of tea," she said, equally as proud. Sirius laughed and kissed her on the head. "I'm sorry," he tossled her hair. "I know you don't like being kept here, but I'd rather do that than something bad happen.". Sephie thought for a second...he's sorry..."Well, I promise I'll go quietly tomorrow," Sirius raised his eyebrows in pride. Sephie continued. "As long as you let me go out with the girls tonight, for a kind of, drink and chat before Lily becomes a Potter, type, thing..." she trailed off when she saw him frown. "Oh, come on Sirius, I'm wearing a dress that covers me up completely and I'll be home early," Sirius narrowed his eyes. "Pleeeeeease?" Sephie pouted. Sirius walked into the kitchen and didn't say anything.

"Sirius?" Sephie frowned, following him and watching him take a beer out of the fridge.

"Look, I really don't think it's a good idea..."he began, but Sephie scowled. "I'm sorry.."

"You know what?" Sephie said angrily. "I have gone along with this whole recluse thing for ages. It's driving me mental, and I'm only doing it to keep _you_ happy. For once, I want to go somewhere quiet, come home early, and you say no to that aswell? What's next? Am I not allowed to use the bathroom?"

Sirius sighed. "Sephie, look, Kingsley thinks..."

"Kingsley?"

"We're only nineteen, we don't know enough yet..."

"We know enough for us to join the Order, if I can be in the Order I'm sure I can handle a drink or two!"

"It's not that, I just..."

"WHAT?" Sephie yelled. "YOU JUST WHAT?". Sirius fell silent. Bear started whining loudly, hating to see the two argue, before leaving the room. He looked at the ground. "I'm responsible for you-"

"WHAT? SIRIUS, JUST BECAUSE I LIVE HERE DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE! I'M THE SAME AGE AS YOU, YOU KNOW!" She shouted, angry that her life was being cut up to nothing. "Sephie, I know, but I feel...I feel I have to...I want..."

"WHAT? WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?" she demanded, her long hair flicking about her shoulders as she held open her arms. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?". Sirius looked down, and slowly put his beer on the table. "I don't know...I don't know..." she said quietly. Sephie shook her head in disbelief. "You don't know?" She asked. "Or you don't care?". Sirius jumped up angrily at the accusation, confused and upset at the same time. "I don't know, Okay? I DO NOT KNOW!" he yelled, feeling his face burn and his eyes prick. He hated seeing her be kept inside, but he was terrified of losing her. He couldn't meet her gaze. "I..I just don't know anything anymore..." he rubbed his face with his hands. Trying to articulate the mess of emotions twisting his insides when it came to Sephie and everything about her was the hardest thing he ever had to do. He was more nervous now than when Malfoy had arrived in Sephie's basement. He could fight of a band of Death Eaters at 19, but telling Sephie-the one person he could tell anything to-just how he was feeling at that moment was impossible. "I have to go," he whispered, before turning and leaving.

He walked along the street, the sun dancing on the cars. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, tried to think of what the hell was wrong with him. He used to be up for going out, living dangerously. Well, he still was. But why was he stopping Sephie? He didn't have a crush on her, he knew her too well and that was ridiculous. He thought she was beautiful, but not in a physical way. Well, she was pretty. He knew she was gorgeous. That's why he met her in the first place, anyway. But he didn't want to get her into bed. But he didn't want anyone else too, either...The thought made him feel sick. He missed her when he wasn't around. He didn't care if her hair was a mess or if she had no make-up on, like he did with other girls. But when he hugged her, he wanted his whole body to swallow her up. When she caught his eye he could tell everything she was thinking. Time stood still for a milisecond. He could conjure up the image of them perfectly, he knew exactly how thick the line of dark grey around the green iris was, and what shade they were. He knew the freckles on her nose better than any potion or curse and he knew every note and chord of her perfume. He could tell her everything and not be embarrassed. Except this.

He gripped something in his fingers.

Pulled it out.

Parchment.

Napoleon.

_ti duskolon? to eauton gnoai._

When he got back to the house, Sephie had already made dinner. Pasta. She was sitting on the old cordoury couch cross-legged, reading over some Order documents. She didn't say anything as he entered, but carried on eating her pasta. Sirius watched her for a second, then made his way into the kitchen to find himself some food- but there was a bowl, filled with pasta with two slices of ciabatta bread wrapped in cling film on the table. It had a little piece of parchment with _Sirius _written on it. He smiled sadly as he saw it and closed the fridge. She can't hate him then. He took the cling film off the bowl, but put the parchment in his pocket with the other piece, and went into the living room. Sephie hadn't changed. Her hair was falling into her face to be pushed behind her ear by her hand as she took a bite of ciabatta. Sirius smiled. He went up behind the sofa, leant over and kissed her cheek lightly. She sighed. But smiled weakly. "I'm sorry I yelled," she whispered. "I know," Sirius replied. "I'm sorry too.". Bear was watching, one eye open, from her place on the hearth.

He let Sephie go out that night, but he didn't stop worrying. He felt lonely. Really lonely, being in the house without Sephie, even for a few hours. Bear was sitting with him on the sofa, watching him worry, grinning to herself. He thought of her in the pub, all the lads that would be looking at them, knowing Lily was on her hen night. She probably wasn't even thinking of him, unless it was happy to be out of his house finally. But actually, she was missing him too.

"So, what's going on with you and Sirius?" Miranda asked, raising her eyebrow as she brought the drinks back to the table. Sephie sighed at the familiar question. "Well, I live in his house. We're roomies. That is all." She took a sip of her drink. Lily rolled her eyes. "Oh, come _on,"_ she said. "You two have more of a relationship than...well...things that do stuff."

"Yeah," Regina chipped in. "You can't tell me you've lived in the same house as Sirius Black for almost six months and _nothing _has happened."

"Well," Sephie pretended to think. "We did learn that football game Lily told us about, and I taught him some Greek.". Miranda nodded. "Was one of the Greek phrases 'I love you'?" she asked. Sephie glared at Miranda. "Why?"

"Oooh," Regina smiled and rubbed her hands. "That is _soo_ a subconcious thing.". Sephie laughed. "Oh you have got to be kidding me," she said, shaking her head. Lily nodded, grinning. "I knew it, I knew it. Four fucking years, but I knew it."

"What?" Sephie asked defensively. Regina giggled and Miranda leaned in. "Come on, we know you've kissed Sirius before. It's obvious. You went to meet him that time, came back flustered, and didn't talk to him for about five days, remember? When you got with Jack?"

Sephie froze. "No...um.."

"Oh, Sephie, don't be silly. You got it on with Sirius, then Sirius got jealous cos you were with Jack, so you broke up with Jack, then Jack got jealous, and you stood up for Sirius. Come one, Seph. We're not stupid." Lily said, taking a sip of her drink triumphantly as Sephie looked around nervously.

"Nothing is going on," She insisted. "Okay, so we kissed, once, a long time ago. That was it-"

"Oh, and your party," Alice said. Sephie glared at her in shock. She shrugged. "Seph, that room looks over the boat house. I was in there with Frank, saw everything.". Regina nearly dropped her glass. "Oh, my, god, Seph. You two are _soo _meant for each other, I mean, I so saw this in Ancient Runes in sixth year, I told Alice-"

"Yeah, I agree," Alice nodded. "I mean, what is there not to like? He looks after you and he's changed for you. And you've got a dog together. Not to mention, he is pretty damn good looking. I mean, I most certainly would."

"Alice!" Regina gasped. "You can't say that about Sephie's man!"

"Oh my god," Sephie breathed, "Can we please talk about something else."

"Okay, okay," Lily nodded. "But just think who's wedding it'll be next?"


	26. All The Way Down

_Taking Part's What Counts. But You Are Not Around. Never Understand My Goals For You. Looking Back, Seems That Everyone In My Life...Will Be Waiting For Me. I Will Be Waiting For You. Until The Evidence Conveys Another Side. Never Understand My Hopes For You. Sleeveless And Miniature. Monster Overture. Never Be Complete Unless You Know. All The Way Down...So I'll Try Not To Breathe As I Hold My Head Still. The Light Bends Off My Face Every Tear That I Cry. And I'll Try Not To Think What The Happy Things Were, I'll Just Think Of The Things That Just Made Me Shit Scared. And I'll Just Close My Eyes When I See Everyone That You're Leaving Behind For The Dawn Of The Sun. And I'll Try Not To Feel, Oh I'll Try Not To Feel. If I Try Not To Feel All The Way Down-"All The Way Down", Biffy Clyro._

Sirius woke, sweating. Persephone was screaming.

"Shit," he breathed, jumping out of bed, adrenaline running through his veins. She wasn't stopping for breath. He dashed into the bedroom opposite his own, the door slamming open. Persephone was alone, lying on her back. Her eyes were open and she was screaming at nothing. "Sephie!" He yelled, shaking her. Her eyes were staring straight through him. "Sephie! Wake up!" She stopped. Her eyes closed and so did her mouth, in a small smile. Like she was happy...Suddenly she gasped as if she'd just beein drowning, her chest rose dramatically and her eyes flickered open. She was gasping for air, her eyes terrified, her hands gripping at Sirius. "Sephie! Sephie!" He was trying to calm her down, trying to hold her shoulders, he gripped her face between his hands. "Sephie, it's me, Sephie, calm down. It's okay...It's okay..."

"Sirius..." she breathed, her gasping calming down. "Sirius...What happened? What was it?"

"A dream, Seph..." he brushed her hair out of her face. "It was a dream. Don't worry. Noone's here except me and you." Sephie suddenly sat up and grabbed Sirius in a hug. He put his arms around her. "Seph, what was it? Seph, please calm down."

"Please don't leave me..." she mumbled into his shoulder. He sighed filled his hand with her hair. "Okay...okay..". They stayed like this for a few seconds in silence. Sephie wasn't crying. Sirius had never really seen her cry. She was always too busy being a panda. At least she wasn't upset this time.. She pulled back after a second, pushing her hair behind her ears, looking into her lap. "Sorry I got you up," she mumbled. Sirius smiled sympathetically. "Don't worry about it. I wasn't sleeping that well anyway." Sephie looked up and gave him the same look she did after she turned back from a panda. He didn't know what came over him. But he did it so fast he nearly headbutted her. The only thing he thought of was _Well, this is different..._ The most he'd got from kissing girls was a few butterflies if it was someone particularly good-looking. Usually he didn't even get that. But this was...crazy. He had butterflies, but not just in his stomach. He had butterflies in his veins. He felt as light as a feather. Which is probably why he didn't realise how hard he leaned her back onto the bed.

Sirius was asleep, but he could still feel Sephie drifting away from him. He instinctively grabbed her round the stomach. He had to keep her safe. She turned into him, her face nuzzling the duvet between them like a cat would. Sirius blinked his eyes open, stared up at the ceiling for a second. He looked down to the girl beside him. The one he'd known for over three years. Maybe this was why it wasn't weird. Every other morning-after, Sirius would wake up, praying the girl had already left so he wouldn't have to talk to her. If she was there and still asleep, he could get showered and dressed and leave a note saying he had to be somewhere and leave. If she was awake and looking at him, he would panic. But he didn't really want Sephie to go anywhere.

How strange.

He looked at the clock on the wall. It was 9.46am. He sighed. As much as he wanted to lay here, he really needed to get up. He had the small matter of being best man at his best friend's wedding. Sephie moved beside him. Her eyes flickered open and she yawned. "What time is it?" She asked, seeing Sirius's eyes on the clock. "9.47am," he replied, smiling. "James said he'd be here at ten. We'd better get up." He threw his legs over the side of the bed as Sephie rolled over, the duvet covering his modesty. And thank heavens for it...

"Hey Seph!" James cried happily as he burst through the bedroom door. "Where's-oh..." His eyes caught Sirius and widened. He nodded his head and smirked. "Alright..."

"JAMES!" Sephie yelled, throwing a pencil at him. James ducked and slammed the door behind him as he exited. "Fantastic."

Sirius pulled on his boxers and exited the room, finding James in the hall with a massive grin on his face. "Well, well-"

"Shut up." Sirius pointed his finger at James' face as he walked past to the bathroom. James huffed. It wasn't his wedding day or anything...

"Nothing, now shut up," Sirius hissed as James questioned him for the tenth time that morning on what was going on with him and Sephie. Peter hadn't yet found out- James had been forbidden to tell after Remus' reaction. _I hope you're not seeing this as another one of your ridiculous conquests..._he'd said. Whilst Sirius would normally laugh this kind of comment off, he was deeply insulted by it. "Let's check ourselves out."

Sirius moved infront of the mirror, James and Remus and Peter joining him. All were wearing matching black suits with red waistcoats and red ties. James nodded. "We look good." Remus looked at the clock on the wall-11.45am.

"Time to go," he said, taking a deep breath. He and Peter left the mirror, turning the TV off and making sure they had everything. Sirius patted James' back. "Ready, mate?"

James nodded. "Yeah..."

Sephie had left at half ten, reminding the boys to leave at 11.45 to get to the Church at twelve, ready for Lily to enter at half past. The car was waiting- a white rolls royce. The driver was a small, skinny man with a black tophat and suit, and a handle bar moustache. He bowed and opened the door for the four men, who clambered in with ease as the car expanded. "Last moments of freedom, mate," Sirius said, grinning. James looked from the window to his friend. "Can't wait."

The guests were sitting. James' mother and father had gotten on famously with Lily's mother, but Petunia had simply sat down and ignored everyone. James got into his position, Sirius at his side, smiling. "As if you actually pulled her," he laughed. James grinned and looked down. The music started. James looked dead ahead. Sirius blinked a few times and smiled, before looking down courteously, bu his eyes turned up to catch Sephie's. Her long hair was falling down her chest, decorated with a silver aliceband adorned with silver roses, her green square-necked dress making her look like a princess. A tiny silver key hung around her neck. She smiled as she moved to the side, and Remus and Peter's breath caught in their chest. James had to turn...

Lily's scarlet hair was perfectly falling round her shoulders, her dress was pure white and she had the biggest smile on her face James' had ever seen. She looked amazing.

The wedding begun.

Sirius and Sephie both caught eyes throughout the service, but everyone's eyes were on the Potters.

As the wedding couple left to have photos taken, Sirius jumped into the car that was taking them all to the Manor for the wedding dinner, taking a seat next to Sephie. It was his first chance to talk to her since she'd left for Lily's. "Hey," she said, smiling. Sirius smiled back, moving closer to her as more people got in the car. "You look beautiful," he whispered. He'd said this before to girls, but never meant it. "Well, it took long enough for me to get this way," she replied. Sirius shook his head. "You always do.". The sincerity in his voice made Sephie's heart rise. The car started up. They arrived at the manor within ten minutes, and quickly took their places in the greeting party before the guests filtered through and took their places. When the final guest had sat, (James' elderly Uncle Alfie), the wedding party filed into their seats at the long table adorned with red roses and green and red balloons.

"Ladies and gentlemen," came a deep, disembodied voice. "Please welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Potter!"

The room stood and applauded as the happy couple entered. James, as arrogant ever, bowed, Lily rolling her eyes beside him. Sirius laughed and clapped him on the back as they embraced. "Well done, mate."

James smiled and sat down. Sirius caught sight of Andromeda, Ted beside her and Nymphadora on her knee in a dark green dress. She waved at Sirius, nodding her head in Sephie's direction and smiling. He didn't doubt that James had told her what he had found that morning.

Sephie kept to the plan. She was still supposed to be in hiding, and left after the dinner to get back to Sirius' safely. The Potter's wedding was one of the most high profile weddings in the wizarding world, and it was safer for her to be at home.

"Hey," Sirius followed her out of the dining hall and into the large, round reception room. Sephie stopped and turned. "Sirius," she said blankly, realising who it was as he caught up with her. "I'm sorry I have to miss your speech, I'd really like to see Lily's face." She smiled, but she could tell Sirius was worried. "You'll be fine."

"It's not me I'm worried about," he replied, glaring into her eyes. She sighed. "I'll be fine. It only takes ten minutes to fly to Mulberry Street from here. Trust me," she put her hands on his chest and straightened his tie. "Now go- you'll miss James' speech." And with that she flew off.

Sirius watched her fly out the open window- _I thought we'd locked all the windows..._He shrugged, before heading back to the hall. He didn't notice Snape cowering in the shadows.

"Well," James said, standing up beside Sirius. "Who would've thought I'd finally get Lily Evans eh?"

Several people laughed and clapped. "Just proves, if you annoy someone for seven years, they'll finally agree to marry you." Lily shook her head beside him.

"Anyway. This girl beside me is the reason I didn't end up like my good friend Sirius here," Sirius also shook his head. "I probably could've got a good few girls if it weren't for this one."

"Pfft," Lily said beside him jokingly.

"Every year, I'm sure Lily would hope I'd gone off her a bit. Would leave her alone. But it's her own fault- every year she got more and more beautiful. I know my first kiss wasn't Lily. But I'd like to think it was my first real one. Never before had I felt butterflies fly through my whole body. I'd only ever got those butterflies from Lily."

Sirius stopped taking his drink. The words rung in his ears.

"And that's how I knew I had to marry her. I mean, I'd wanted to since I was twelve. But when I kissed her, that was it. I was already married in my mind. Nothing was going to mess this up. And I keep that thought in my mind everyday. Nothing is going to mess this up. To Lily."

Sirius was still. _Never before had I felt butterflies fly through my whole body..._He hardly noticed James sit down beside him. He was staring at the bubbles in his glass as he turned it in his hand. Applause filled the room as James leaned in to kiss Lily.

"And now," Remus stood. "Some words from the best man?"

Sirius wasn't listening. Remus kicked him into life. "Oh..I."

He stood, bringing his glass with him. He left his piece of paper crumpled on the table. "Now," He looked around at the room. He saw Andromeda. She nodded. "I know you probably all are expecting to hear some stupid anecdotes about how James tried to woo fair Lily, and, believe me, there are plenty to tell..." James put his head in his hands, but remained smiling. "But today has made me realise lots of things. Not just because of what James just said about me...but because of what he said about Lily."

James frowned. Remus smirked. Remus was happy Sirius had finally learnt his lesson. "Now, I've kissed a fair share of girls. And I know that sometimes you don't even get anything from it at all. Just a feeling of dread. You think 'Oh god, now i've got to get rid of her...'. Sometimes you get butterflies- a few, tiny ones. And only because you know you've scored with that pretty blonde with the big boobs everyone is after, and can't wait to tell the lads. Those are regular kisses. But I can take James' words of wisdom-" he raised his glass to signal James. "When I feel butterflies in my whole body, I'll know my old days are over. For good. And I'll go for it."

Andromeda was nearly in tears at his words. He raised his glass. "To James. And To The _Real_ Deal."

He took a sip from his glass and put it on the table, but didn't sit. He leant over to James-"Mate, I'm sorry, I have to-"

"I know," James said, smiling. "Go."

Sirius smiled back. Remus patted Sirius on the back. "My boy's grown up," he said.

"I'll be back tonight, I won't be long. I promise." Sirius said to James. "Congrats."

He dashed out of the room, into the reception room where Sephie had transformed, and out through the doors. With a turn he was gone. But he had no idea what he'd been missing...

Just as Sirius was in the dining hall, making his sudden realisation, Persephone Scamander had changed out of her bridesmaid's dress and into a black vest and shorts and started to brush her hair.

Snape, however, was with his fellow Death Eaters. Voldemort had demanded to know why he was late. Saving Lily Potter, by not telling of the wedding, he divulged what Persephone had said to Sirius. She was in Mulberry Street.

Persephone heard the door open, and close. She heard footsteps come up the hall. But she knew they were not Sirius' footsteps. She stopped dead. _"Expecto Patronum," _she whispered, and an owl floated out of the window to alert Sirius. She looked at the door. Transformed into a rat. Her heart pounded in her chest as she hid under the bed. The door swung open. She saw the shoes she knew weren't Sirius'. She knew who they belonged to. Her rat nose could smell him. She felt sick.

Remus stood. "Some words from the best man?"

Voldemort saw the green bridesmaids' dress on the floor. Saw the hairbrush tossed aside. He grinned.

"I know you're in here, Persephone..."

Sirius' eyes met Andromeda's.

Persephone kept still. He wouldn't be able to see her in this dark shadow. His wand appeared under the bed in his long fingers.

The blue light flashed.

Persephone knew she couldn't hide.

She stood facing him.

"Persephone Scamander," Voldemort said in his raspy voice, a sneer on his face. "You should watch what you say..."

"I won't join you," She said bluntly, her heart pounding in her throat. Her limbs were rigid and he hadn't cursed her. Yet.

"We'll see..._Crucio!"_

"But today has made me realise lots of things..." Sirius began.

Persephone bent double, backwards, as the light hit her.

"...because of what he said about Lily." Sirius felt the feeling rise in his chest. Thought of Persephone the night before.

Voldemort twitched his hand, and Persephone's arm bent backwards at the elbow, but didn't snap. She moved like some demented puppet. As the hand twitched again, her body fell to the floor and twisted, her fingers tightened, her knees bent, her head thrashed.

Sirius thought of the night before the whole way through his speech. He thought of the kisses. He thought of his hands on Persephone's back.

"_Imperio,"_ Voldemort sneered. The torture stopped. Persephone breathed, but was moving towards Voldemort without control. She tried to resist, but the other part of her mind was too strong. She did not want to kneel before him. But she did.

"Now. Will you join me?" Voldemort asked, twisting his head to the side to look at Persephone. He knew he could make her say yes.

"When I feel butterflies in my whole body, I'll know my old days are over. For good. And I'll go for it." Sirius said, knowing he had to get back to Sephie. He had to see her face...

Persephone's own brain, that part not controlled by Voldemort, filled with Sirius' face. Tears did not come. She thought of Sirius' lips on hers the night before. The sincerity of his words today. She moved her head up to look her attacker dead in the eye.

Voldemort had not told her to do this. His eyes widened. He looked into her face. Maybe she was going to comply by herself?

But her eyes were glazed, day dreamy. Her mouth was in a content smile. She thought of Sirius and showed him.

Voldemort shook. He saw it in her eyes. It was stronger than him. He couldn't bear it.

A crack echoed around the street as Sirius appeard in his own back alley. It was getting dark. He turned to face the back gate- his face dropped. He saw the owl. The signal. "Sephie..." he breathed, dread in his throat. "No..."

He ran as fast as he could to the front of his house, pulled and pushed the door as hard as he could.

"_Aveda Kedavra."_

Persephone dropped like a fly. Voldemort heard a crack. Heard the tugging at the door.

Sirius looked at the window. Saw the flash of green. "PERSEPHONE! PERSEPHONE!" Sirius yelled, banging on the door.

Voldemort grinned. He'd leave young Sirius a present...

He picked up the limp body before him and lie it out on the bed.

Sirius grabbed his wand. Blew the door off it's hinges. Ran up the stairs two at a time.

Voldemort heard the footsteps banging up the stairs. Opened the window. Flew out into the night.

Sirius reached the top of the staircase. He pushed the door to Sephie's room open. There she lie. Her body was draped over the corner of the bed. Her hair hung down the foot of it. His heart caught in his chest. Her hair wasn't in her face. Her expression was highlighted by the moonlight starting to drift in through the open window.

Her eyes were day dreamy.

Her mouth was in a content smile.

She stared at Sirius.

Sirius Black had never been in love before. And he was never in love again.


	27. Epilogue

_Where are we? What the hell is going on? The dust has only just begun to fall, Crop circles in the carpet, sinking, feeling. Spin me round again and rub my eyes. This can't be happening. When busy streets a mess with people would stop to hold their heads heavy. Hide and seek. Trains and sewing machines. All those years they were here first. Oily marks appear on walls Where pleasure moments hung before. The takeover, the sweeping insensitivity of this still life. Hide and seek. Trains and sewing machines. (Oh, you won't catch me around here) Blood and tears, They were here first. Mmm, what you say? Mm, that you only meant well? Well, of course you did. Mmm, what you say? Mm, that it's all for the best? Ah off course it is. Mmm, what you say? Mm, that it's just what we need? And you decided this. Mmm what you say? What did she say? Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth. Mid-sweet talk, newspaper word cut-outs. Speak no feeling, no I dont believe you. You don't care a bit. You don't care a bit. Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth. Mid-sweet talk, newspaper word cut-outs. Speak no feeling, no I don't believe you. You don't care a bit. You don't care a bit.-"Hide and Seek" Imogen Heap_

_Persephone,_

_I don't know how to write this. I don't know what to say, all I want is to be able to say everything to your face. Knowing I'll never be able to see you ever again is the most painful thought I'll ever have to think. There's a million things I have to tell you. I'm hoping that maybe, somehow, you can see this. But if I've learnt anything from you it's that anything is possible. _

_You have no idea what you meant to me. I don't think anyone does. I've felt the same way since...since you turned up in my bedroom that first time and took me out for a walk. I knew then that you were the only person I wanted to see everyday for the rest of my life, and everyday I didn't see you was a waste. James said something in his speech-he said that when you kiss someone truly amazing that you feel butterflies through your veins. I felt that on that night, Seph. I didn't know what it was, but James and Remus made me realise something I should've noticed a long time ago._

_I love you, Persephone. I always will, and nothing will ever change that. _

_I keep wondering what could've happened, but I know you'd just tell me not to be silly. That it was supposed to happen. But if you'd just stayed at the wedding, if I'd let you stay, or if I'd gone with you..._

_I can't think properly, not anymore. Nothing makes sense. _

_Bear kept walking around the house looking for you. Everytime James or Remus came over, she'd think it was you. I had to tell her she'd never see you again. She'd been really good, though. We both sleep in your bed now, it smells like you. Lily told me I had to change the sheets because they were getting gross, so I had to take your clothes to bed with me. It sounds crazy, but knowing I won't be able to hug you ever again, or stop you being a panda..._

_If I turn into Padfoot, I can smell you better. I'm spending more and more time as a dog, now. Me and Bear found that bracelet you thought you'd lost. It's in my pocket. So is the parchment with the words you wrote in Greek. I should've told you then...I should've said it sooner. Knowing I had four years with you, four years to make something good happen but I never did. I was so stupid. All those times I upset you, I never wanted to. I never, ever wanted to make you cry. I'm so, so sorry, Persephone. _

_I even ate an olive the other day. You left a whole jar full in the fridge. It's weird, I actually like them now. The taste of them reminds me of you, even though I used to hate them I eat one just to feel closer to you. _

_I've got the Order picture by the bed, and I look at it before I sleep. I sleep all day now, if I sleep I can be with you. I have dreams that seem so real but they always end with you lying on the bed. I'm never, ever going to forget that night. It's going to haunt me forever. _

_I'd give anything in the world to just brush your hair out of your eyes again, or take a trip down to the river with you. _

_Oh, God, It's so hard to put all of this down._

_Bear told me that, that night you went out with Lily, you'd taken out the black dress and held it. The dress you were wearing when we first kissed, when we went out on Valentines Day. I slept with it last night. It's covered in tears now. But knowing you were thinking of me when you touched it makes it gold dust to me now._

_I don't know what I'm going to do without you. I want you back. I want you to come back. I keep waiting for you to come in the door, or for you to be asleep on the sofa, or to wake up and see you in the bed. The house is so empty without you. _

_The night before James's wedding was the best night of my life. You are the most incredible person I'll ever meet. I live it over and over in my head everytime I smell you. I just...I need to touch you again. I need you to tell me I'm okay. I'm not okay, though. I need you here. I've lost half of me that I'm never going to get back. I can't talk to anyone anymore, I can't do anything I enjoy because the things I enjoy are you. Hearing your voice or your laugh, or seeing your teeth when you smile properly, or that look you give me when I've done something wrong but don't know what it is._

_I want everything about you. I want the freckles on your nose, that one curl in your hair that's tighter than all the others, the scar on your wrist, the way you curl up in a ball when you sit down. The little smile on your face when you fall asleep, or the way you always lie on me when you want something. I'll give you anything, Seph. Anything you want and I'll go get it for you. _

_I'm never going to see your face again._

_I could've stayed with you forever. Lily spoke to me. She told me what everyone had said about us when you went out for drinks. It drives me crazy, I want to know everything you ever said about me. I want to know everything about you. I want to know how you feel about me. I want to know that you love me too. I don't think anyone would've put up with me if they didn't. But you always did have faith in everyone, even Peter. And he's a mess. Lily's been really good. James doesn't know what to do. Remus is trying to look after Miranda. She hasn't left the house since you...left. She keeps asking for you in her sleep and Remus has to wake her and tell her you're not coming back. Your mum and dad came over after the funeral. _

_Your funeral was beautiful. I made sure there were tulips everywhere. Bear walked infront of the coffin, me, your dad, Remus, James, Peter and Frank carried it. It was horrible but amazing at the same time. I wouldn't have been able to just watch. I kept turning to my side, expecting to see you or for your hand to come over mine and let me know it was okay. Seeing everyone there...even Dumbledore was crying. _

_Your mum and dad gave me the picture you'd left at theirs of me and you. To watch you laugh is the best thing in the world, but watching the same laugh makes me want you more. It's not getting any easier. People say you move on, you realise everyone has to die but not you. You didn't have to, not then. If I'd had been a second sooner I could've stopped it. _

_Artemis looks exactly like you now, so does Demeter. Demeter keeps asking where you are, when you're going to come back. Bear keeps her occupied though, when we have to talk about things she doesn't understand._

_I wrote your name down the other day, with my name. Persephone Black._

_It hurts so much, Seph. And the only person who can make it better is you, and the only person I ever want to see is you, and the only voice I can hear is yours. Making breakfast for one isn't great. James and Lily keep coming over so I don't have to be alone. It makes it a bit easier, but everytime someone makes a cup of tea and asks if you're gonna want one it's hard. Or takes out four bars of chocolate, one for you. I even make too much food now, Bear has to eat it. Everything reduces me to tears and you know I never cry. _

_I was thinking of what our kids would've looked like. They'd have been so clever, Seph. They'd have been the best kids, I would've given you and them the world. We'd go anywhere you wanted._

_Your mum said she thought we were going to get married. Everyone did apparently. I wish I'd done something about it sooner. I wish...I wish a million things. All of them are you. _

_I keep begging you're going to come back. I need you so much. I keep doing stupid things, thinking maybe they'll fix something. I'm rubbish at these tidying charms, and I can't transfigure anything anymore. Not even a pen to a feather. This can't be happening to me, I can't be losing the one thing I care about in the world. _

_I'm never going to throw out anything of yours. Ever. Every note I find that you've written, every reminder to yourself I've kept. Even the hair that was on your pillow is on my draw. But I'd give them up to keep you forever. To sleep in the same bed as you again, to feel you breathe and to hear you say my name in your sleep. To grow old with you, to have you put up with all the stuff I'd do wrong, to tell you that no matter what I did I loved you more than anything I'd ever known._

_I kept saying to you over and over how much I loved you. So much, Seph. I hope you heard me, that you had a bit of life left in you just to hear it. Everyone says you carry on hearing things after you're gone for about fifteen minutes, and I was sitting with you for at least two hours after. You must've heard me. Please let me know you heard me. Anything. _

_Please come back to me._

_Please don't leave me._


End file.
